Still I Rise
by Bahrtok
Summary: You may write me down in history; With your bitter, twisted lies; You may trod me in the very dirt; But still, like dust, I'll rise.
1. The Reapings

I'm finally putting this story back up. I don't have all of the chapters, but I'll put up what I do have. Hope you enjoy! Pictures of the characters can be found on Tumblr, under the username essevideri.

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**District 1**

**Iskandar Samir, 18**

A loud bell ringing through the training facility of District 1 awakens me. With a yawn, I climb down from the vent I sleep in to avoid any physical activity whatsoever, and listen as a voice comes over the loudspeaker.

"Attention, District 1. Training has ended. All citizens are to report to the district center for the reapings immediately."

Oh, for crying out loud. They hold those things at the most inconvenient times. I open the door to the supply closet and slip out into the hall, only to bump into a skinny girl with a headband.

"What were you doing in there?" she asks me curiously.

"Getting… cleaning supplies. Why do you care?"

"I heard strange noises coming from the vents. I followed the noises here, to this supply closet. And now here you are, coming out of said supply closet. It's suspicious, quite frankly."

"Who _are_ you?"

"Tammy Harding."

"Well, it was great talking to you, Sherlock Holmes, but I've got to get going to the reapings. See ya around."

I slip around the girl and sprint off through the large double-doors in the training facility, across the outdoor track, and into the district center. I arrive a few minutes early and curse my promptness; I had plenty of time to grab a quick snack. But soon enough, they're calling the boy tribute, and I hear a very familiar name.

"Iskandar Samir!"

What? …No! _No_. I refuse. _I refuse!_ Even as I'm dragged to the stage by the peacekeepers, I vehemently refuse.

They expect me to _train?_ And then go to all the trouble of an interview, a chariot ride, and that ridiculous prepping process? And to top it all off, I'll have to fight off twenty-three losers in an arena with no beds, no vending machines, no videogames?

I'm just about ready to declare that things couldn't possibly get any worse when they announce the female tribute: Tamara Harding. The weirdo who stalked me outside the supply closet.

Fantastic. Just stupendous.

**District 2**

**Katerina, 17**

My sister is dead. I rejoice.

I watched Lorelei, the skank, flirting with that Sylvester boy the entire Games. And my family had the audacity to cry when her cannon fired? For crying out loud. They should have been singing with joy; now they can focus all of their attention on the good daughter, Katerina. Me.

People never cease to astound me.

**Duval, 16**

Operation Whoopee Cushion was supposed to go off without a hitch.

The whoopee cushion is classic because, no matter how overused it is, it never ceases to embarrass the victim. Ever. It's foolproof. This is why I placed my stash so strategically around District 2 – it would provide me with endless enjoyment throughout reaping day.

But, no. They just _had_ to pick my name out of the reaping bowl.

**Katerina, 17**

I volunteered. I volunteered to prove to everyone, once and for all, that I am a winner. Not to mention the fact that Lorelei besmirched the family name when she lost last year's Games so ungracefully; it's up to me to fix that, and make sure everyone understands that the Draven's are, and always will be, on top.

**District 3**

**Remi, 17**

"Ray-mee! Ray-meeeeee!" Alice whimpers from the back room.

I snatch her pills from the counter and sprint to her side; no need for water, she's an expert at swallowing pills by now.

"It's okay, Alice," I soothe, spilling several pills into her tiny, cupped hands. "I'm here now. It's okay."

She sighs, a runaway tear escaping down her cheek, and takes the pain medication. I vaguely wonder what would happen today if she were to be reaped; would they put her in a wheelchair and push her into the arena? She would die immediately, I know that. What I don't know is, would the Games be a better end for her than rotting away the rest of her life in this bed?

"I don't want to lie here anymore," she whispers as she closes her eyes.

"I know, Alice. I know."

But I don't. I don't know anything. The doctors can't even tell us what's wrong with her; she's sick, that's been obvious since the day she was born. But why? And what on earth will cure her?

The Capitol. Surely, if I were to win the Games, they would do their best to heal her. I would pay every doctor in Panem to fix her; I would slay every tribute in the arena to take away her pain. But I know that my chances of winning the Games are slim, and then where would Alice be? Alone in her bed, no one to care for her. And that? That is something I could never put my little sister through.

**Alise, 14**

"Do you have your whistle?" Father asks.

"Always," I tell him, pulling the black cord around my neck; hanging from the necklace is a wooden whistle, shaped like a mockingjay. A joke, you see: I am a mockingjay, a little bird that you must always keep your eye on, for you never know when I may sing a mocking tune behind your back.

"Good. When you get back from the reapings, I'm going to test my new toothbrush out on you."

"Excellent, Father. When I return."

I dart out the front door and down the street. As I head to the reapings, I pass the laboratory where my father works; his desk lies somewhere inside, covered in spinning toothbrushes. My father is a genius, always inventing new items to be used around District 3. I am his assistant, running around the laboratory, seeking out the tiny screws and bolts he orders. It is an acrobat's act, leaping over electric fences, ducking under miniature helicopters, dancing across malfunctioning robotic floors. The laboratory is always filled with inventors and their various inventions, and simply entering the door often turns into maneuvering a dangerous obstacle course.

As such, my eyesight and acrobatic abilities are nothing to be laughed about. I contemplate this as the reapings begin and the male tribute is called: someone named Remi Adlanji. I don't really start paying attention until I hear my own name called. My head snaps up; have I done something wrong? Why are they singling me out?

"Alise Lune?" the announcer calls again, and suddenly I understand.

I've been reaped.

Well, doesn't that just beat all?

**District 4**

**Virdiana "Vi" (pronounced 'Vie')**

My fishing boat rocks gently as I get closer to the pier. Nymera will be impressed with my haul today, and I know that her parents will be pleased at the money. It's not as though they make me pay them, they don't even ask. But ever since the fight I had with my parents, I've been living with Nymera and her family, and I feel more than obligated to give them all of my earnings in return.

"Vi, you done?" Nymera calls from the dock.

"Yup, just finished!"

"Well, hurry up! The reapings are today!"

As if anyone could forget.

I tie up the boat, leaving the fish behind to deal with after the reapings. Nymera and I walk to the reapings together, chatting all the way.

**Avenaye, 17**

My knife spins as it sails across the room and sinks into the dummy's thigh.

"Is that the best you can do? You pathetic waste of breath! Take a lap!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" I shout in my best soldier voice, giving the trainer an exaggerated salute.

"They don't pay me enough to deal with you."

"You seem very stressed. Can I offer you a free massage?"

"Don't touch me, Avenaye."

"It's nothing sexual, sir. Just pop off that shirt of yours so I can lather you up with oil and run my hands over those handsome muscles you've got there."

"Avenaye, I swear… if you don't get out of my sight right now, I'm going to snap your scrawny little neck and-"

"I'm not gonna lie, sir. I'm open to you putting your hands anywhere on my body, even my neck."

"I cannot take another year of this," my trainer murmurs, more to himself than anyone else. "Avenaye Darwin, you're going to volunteer at those reapings."

"But… I still have another year."

"I'm telling the Mayor that you're ready for the Games this year. And I don't think I have to remind you how angry he gets when time is wasted."

"You aren't going to miss me?"

"I'm praying you'll die in the bloodbath."

"Well, okay. If you really think I'm that good…"

"Your ability has nothing to do with it," he mumbles.

"What was that?"

"Get out."

I blow him a kiss as I skip out the gym door. This whole mess started four years ago, when a couple of peacekeepers caught me sneaking around their barracks with a bag full of firecrackers and a dead fish. And they automatically jumped to the unfounded conclusion that I was up to something. I'm not used to being caught, so I was a tad nervous in regards to the punishment I might receive; I got off pretty easy, if I do say so myself. District 4 has been somewhat lacking in male careers lately, so the Mayor offered me an alternative to whatever other punishment he was cooking up: train for the Games.

I laughed all the way to the gym.

**Virdiana, (Vi), 17**

The male tribute is called, but then the village idiot decides to volunteer for him. Nymera and I snicker quietly; Avenaye, climbing up on the stage _barefoot_, for crying out loud, will certainly not be receiving any sponsor gifts from District 4 in the arena.

"Virdiana Rayne!"

Our snickering ends abruptly.

**District 5**

**Jango, 17**

I'm awoken by a rat sniffing my face.

"Get off!" I shout, waving my hands at the vermin. "Get out of here!"

I stand, brushing any rat droppings from my clothes – a black shirt covered in dirt, torn jeans covered in grass stains, and a filthy red leather jacket I found in the trash. Ducking my head to avoid slamming into an attic beam, I climb out the broken window and down a rope ladder, the only way in or out of my apartment. Home sweet home.

"Calvin!" I call excitedly as I see my friend crossing the street. "Calvin, what's up?"

"Did you pick up my dry cleaning?"

"Sure did, buddy!"

"Great. Make sure you leave it on my bed when you clean my toilets today."

"You got it, friend-o! So, listen. Are we hanging out later?"

Calvin gives me a strange look. "Uh… no. I'm really busy, Jango. Maybe some other time."

"…You always seem to be busy."

"Look, I gotta go. Don't forget my dry cleaning."

"Gotcha!" I shout, giving him a thumbs-up as he sprints away.

That's me - Mr. Popular. I'm pretty much the coolest guy in the school. Everyone's always telling me we can hang out sometime. Jealous? I think so.

I head into town, whistling as I swing open the door to the bookshop.

"Good morning, marvelous Madelyn!" I cheerfully greet my girlfriend, who's standing at the counter reading a large book.

"…Hello Jango," she murmurs so quietly that I barely hear her.

"How about a good morning hug?" I reach to put my arms around her, and she cringes away.

"Please don't touch me," she breathes, terrified.

"Right. I don't want another 'sexual harassment in the workplace' lawsuit, do I?"

So I was exaggerating just a teeny bit when I called her my girlfriend. I just sweep her mother's bookstore. But I'm working my magic on her, and I get the feeling that she's got a major crush on me, so things are definitely looking up for me in the romance department.

**Madelyn, 17**

Jango smells.

It's a strange mixture of wet dog and rat droppings, and I know it has something to do with the fact that he hasn't showered in weeks. Or that he doesn't even own deodorant. Or a toothbrush, for that matter.

I don't want him around me; he terrifies me. But he's the only one in the entire district who's willing to work for next to nothing, so my mother hires him to keep our bookshop clean, even if he seems incapable of keeping _himself_ clean.

"So what are you reading today?" he asks me as he wipes down the counter with a wet rag.

Timidly, I close my book to show him the cover, _A Complete History of District 5._

"Oh, great. Good book. Yeah, I read that a few years ago, when I was, like, twelve or something."

"You can't read," I murmur, blushing from the simple act of speaking.

"Excuse me?"

"You're illiterate, Jango."

"Well, I'm not… I mean, I can _read_." He laughs nervously. "I just… you know, don't have a lot of time to… to read, and such."

"You can't write, either."

"I… I'm a very… parliamentary… writer. Which explains why, you know, you don't always see me… uh, trans-transcreeping things… you know?"

_Transcribing_, I want to correct, but lack the courage to do so.

"You have a very tenuous grasp on the English language," I mumble, turning away to gently place my book back on the history shelf.

"Well, that's… that's what I'm trying to tell you, is that I'm not… not anything less than completely literate, you hear me?" Jango moves on to dusting the stuffy shelves as I brew coffee for any customers that might stop by.

I can't help but notice how ruggedly pathetic he looks, as though he's just been beaten up, which I suppose he has; his entire life has been one beating after another. His parents babied him, which is generally a non-issue, but when your parents are gentle, timid, dysfunctional folks with extreme obsessive compulsive disorder and an inability to deal with reality, it can sometimes lead to a rough upbringing. Whenever Jango threw a temper tantrum, his parents gave him whatever he wanted; I assume this is why he still has temper tantrums, even at the mature age of seventeen.

But they put their foot down last year when Jango threw an antique vase at his mother's head. Jango's parents kicked him out, though they made it quite clear that he was welcome back as soon as he apologized. But Jango insists that they're the ones who owe _him_ and apology, and besides, he's doing fine on his own. What I want to tell him is, you wouldn't know that he was fine by looking at him.

"So, I was wondering, you know, if you might be… I mean, if you were doing anything tonight, or anything? Because I was thinking we could go out on a date. You could come over to my apartment? I have a very nice bed. Or… I mean, it's not exactly a bed, it's sort of, like, a futon… well, it's from the dumpster behind the homeless shelter, so I'm not actually sure what classification it fits under, but it's definitely in the general category of a futon. So… you interested?"

"No, thank you," I murmur as I brush past him and out the door, wincing as the tiny bell dingles above me.

"Okay. Okay, I get it, busy day… busy day. Maybe tomorrow."

"No."

"Well, let's not… let's not take it off the table, it's still an option. 'Cause I think it's a pretty good…"

As his voice is drowned by the distance I place between us, I finally feel as though I can breathe. He'll be following after me shortly, as we're both headed to the reapings. But at least I'm allowed at least a few moments of blessed silence before the annoying little jackrabbit catches up to me.

I feel bad that he's illiterate, temperamental, lonely, and overwhelmed by reality. But I am in no shape to change his life; I can barely even speak.

**Jango, 17**

"For our boy tribute… Jango Cage!"

Me… me, me, me, me, me! My head bobs through the crowd as I race to the stage, throwing my hands into the air in a victory pose. I feel a little confused, and am not entirely sure what I'm doing; all I know is, I've got to get the crowd pumped. Whenever you're in front of a large crowd of people that is _always_ the first thing you do. Without question.

It's not until I catch her eyes in the crowd before me that I realize: When I win this thing, Madelyn will adore me. I'll be her hero. She'll love me forever. And then, as if she's reading my thoughts, my angel slowly comes to me. She climbs the stage, stands beside me, and shakes my hand. She _touches _me. Voluntarily! Without ever uttering the words, _you're sexually harassing me._ The Games are working their magic already; she's fallen in love with me.

But then she starts to cry.

"Madelyn, don't cry," I tell her. "I'll come back for you."

"Jango, I got reaped," she whispers through the tears.

Well, that certainly changes things.

**Madelyn, 17**

The train is constricting and terrifying; the Capitol has taken away all of my freedom simply by uttering my name. What's more, I have Jango for a district partner.

"Listen, Madelyn," he says in what I can only assume is his seductive voice. "I'm touched that you volunteered for the Games so that you could protect me. But I think you overlooked the fact that I'm a strong, mentally superior tribute who-"

"I was _reaped_," I hiss, wishing I had the courage to scream at him.

"Well, they're pretty much the same thing, so-"

"Between 'reaped' and 'volunteered,' there is all the difference in the world."

**District 6**

**Elisa, 17**

"Why is there blood on the floor?" Angela, my mother, whispers as she steps into our enormous kitchen.

"It's not blood, Angela," I tell her from where I'm sitting at the kitchen table. "I just spilled some water."

"Did you hear that?" Her head snaps to the left in alarm.

"What?"

"A cannon. They're dead."

"Who's dead?"

"All of them."

"Honey, why don't you go upstairs and rest?" my father interrupts as he enters the room. She allows him to escort her up the steps, and I use their absence as an opportunity to escape without being questioned.

People are jealous that I live in the Victor Village. They have no idea what it's like to live with a crazy mother and know that if she had never been in the Games, she would have been perfectly normal. She would have been capable of loving you.

I dart out the door and sprint into town. I arrive at the reapings with plenty of time to spare, just the way I like it. Always on time, everything in order. I wait patiently for the ceremony to begin.

**Osmium, 16**

"Osmium," my mother grunts from her seat in our dilapidated armchair. "Get me my crack."

"Sure thing, Ma." I toss her a plastic baggie of the stuff, making sure to keep a little extra for myself. "Hey, Dad? Can I have some cash?"

My father looks at me over his reading glasses. "What for?"

"Books."

"Sure." He doles out a few greenbacks and slaps them into my hand, knowing full well that I'm off to buy drugs.

"Thanks, Dad," I shout over my back as I race out the door of our lovely home. It pays to be the Mayor's son. At least, if you're looking for cash and drugs. Not so much if you want love and attention.

And it certainly doesn't pay to be the Mayor's wife; just ask my mother.

Knock four times on the cellar door behind the electronics shop. Say the password. Pass down your cash. Wait for your merchandise.

It is a routine, one that I perform twice daily. More, if I'm feeling antsy. Today I take some of the good stuff and snort it quickly; as the Mayor's son, I'm obligated to show up to the reapings on time. To show up late would draw attention to me and the fact that I'm high, and we certainly don't want that. Bad for our reputation.

And so it's with a light head and a drugged state of mind that I stumble off to the reapings. On the way, I bump into that victor's kid, Elisa something-or-other, and she gives me a raise of her eyebrows. Yes, as you can see, things in the Mayor's house are going well, how about the Victor Village? Judging by your mother, I'd say you guys are just as happy as my family.

So quit it with the judgmental looks.

"Osmium Bullion!"

It's a weird sensation, trying to go from completely stoned to completely aware in three seconds. And, obviously, it doesn't work. I struggle to comprehend what's going on; someone is shouting my name, someone is pushing me up some steps, someone is shouting again.

"Elisa Maldomi!"

The girl I bumped into appears next to me, and then another of her, and another of her. The announcer stares at me in horror, and then another of her stares at me, and then another. I see three copies of everyone, and suddenly my head is dizzy, and then I'm on the floor.

**District 7**

**Daniel, 17**

"Good morning, Grace," I say smoothly, smiling seductively. "How are you?"

She forces a smile, though it looks entirely unwanted. "I'd just like some flower seeds," she tells me coldly.

I slide three packets of roses across the counter. "But I do have to warn you… they aren't going to be nearly as beautiful as you, Grace."

"Hmm." She purses her lips and pays me before walking out of the store without another word, her beautiful red hair taunting me from the back of her head. Grace Lennox comes in nearly every day for something or another, and if this routine continues for another few years then she's bound to fall in love with me eventually. It's the science of love; she gets so used to seeing my face every morning that, after a while, her entire day will be thrown off if she _doesn't_ see me. She'll dream of me in my plaid shirt and work pants, long to caress my face and-

_Bang!_

I snap out of my daydream at the sound of Maude banging her cane against the floor. She rarely ever speaks to me; her cane is capable of conveying any number of emotions. And right now it's telling me to get back to work.

My warm smile convinces her that I get the message, and my elderly employer returns to her post in an old wicker rocking chair. She's in the middle of her eighties, and ever since my mother got sick she's paid me to help her run this little shop; we take care of each other, and that's all there is to it.

"I'll go stack the wood," I tell her cheerfully, grabbing my axe before stepping out into the frigid air.

**Aibileen (Abe), 16**

My breath dances in the cold air in front of me, and I pretend the smoke is words. _Hello_, I blow through my nose. _Good morning,_ I puff. _Indubitably,_ I blow, the biggest smoke cloud yet, and wonder how the word would taste on my tongue.

"Hey, look everybody! The freak's here!" Jimmy Lint laughs from the schoolyard where he and his pals have been smoking.

"Hey, Aibileen, don't say anything if you want us to throw you in the dumpster. What's that? Nothing? Okay!"

They crowd around me, these brutes, and grab at my body. Immediately, I go into fighter mode. Feet spread apart, hands up, head high; a tall boy steps forward and I sock him in the gut. He bends over in pain, low enough for me to kick him in the face. Something cracks; he groans as he falls to the ground. But I'm outnumbered, and the others quickly overtake me. I stare daggers at Jimmy, the ringleader, and he smirks back at me.

"It's okay, Aibey Avox. If we do anything you don't like, just scream for help."

The group cackles and drags me toward the trashcans.

"Wait!" Everyone freezes as Jimmy gives his order. A soft, repetitive thunking noise echoes across the empty road. Everyone turns to look at Maude the Murderer's shop, where the creepy old woman stares at us from her rocking chair. "Let's put her in Maude's basement. See if she makes it out, or if the old lady eats her like she ate her own kids!"

To my knowledge, Maude never had any children, but I am physically incapable of telling anyone this. The boys seem to like this idea, however, and lift me into the air in order to better carry me across the street. They take me to the rear of Maude's shop, searching for the cellar door, and this is when we discover the source of the thunking noise. Before us stands a tall, attractive man with muscles to spare. He uses this perfect body of his to chop blocks of wood, which he subsequently stacks into a nice, organized rack. I know this boy. Daniel, a friendly boy a grade above me who has the gift of a wonderfully eloquent tongue; how my mouth waters at the wonderful words he so effortlessly spins.

I would give everything I have to speak. Everything. Take my arms, take my legs. My ears and my eyes. I need none of them. Just allow me, for one blessed day, to shout to the heavens; sing with the birds; tell everyone exactly what I think of them. For I would never be tongue-tied. I would never be shy. If I had words, I would never forsake them, mince them, or suppress them. I, and only I, see them for the gift they truly are, and I would use them like no other.

But, for now, I silently squirm at the hands of my captors, kicking and attempting to wrestle my arms out of their grasp. Seeing this, Daniel drops his axe and steps toward us.

"Aibileen?" he asks curiously, as if wondering why on earth I've allowed myself to be lifted into the air and plunged into a dark cellar. Abe, I want to tell him. Not Aibey, not Aibileen, not Avox. Abe.

Lacking words, I do the only thing I'm capable of using my mouth for: spitting. It comes out as a practiced, lovely little projectile and lands directly on Daniel's shirt. Without even so much as a second glance at the saliva, Daniel brushes it off of his shirt and takes another step closer.

"What's going on?" he asks the boys. "Put her down."

"She's fine," Jimmy snaps. "She likes it."

His posse laughs, but Daniel isn't intimidated. He gets right up in Jimmy's face.

"I said put her down," Daniel says quietly, calmly.

Jimmy assesses the situation, but it's pretty clear who's going to win if this should morph into a fistfight. So he laughs it off. "Whatever, man. If you want the avox so much, you can have her."

They drop me unceremoniously to the ground, and I land painfully on my back. Daniel offers me a hand as my tormentors sprint off, but I ignore it and stand up myself. Brushing myself off, I contemplate my next move; theoretically, I should thank him, but how? It's simply not possible. I could smile at him, sure, but would that look weird? Will he think I'm a freak? Laugh as soon as I walk away?

And to top it all off, now he thinks I'm weak. I can't even hold my ground against a few schoolyard bullies. If I could speak, I would thank him. I would apologize for interrupting his work, and offer to help. If I could speak, I would be a nice person. But, alas, I cannot, and so there is only one thing I can do.

I give him a taste of my mean left hook, catching him right across the jaw. Daniel leans over, spits blood on the ground, and raises his head to stare at me. A mixture of surprise, confusion, and hurt cloud his features, and I'm immediately seized by a little bit of shame.

"Did you just punch me?" he asks incredulously.

I simply stare at him. Now he knows: I am not weak. I am a fighter. I need help from no one.

But being tough is a double-edged sword, for now he hates me.

"…Can you… talk?" he asks slowly.

I take a single step back, analyzing my options, and decide there's only one way to do this. I run.

"Wait!" he calls after me, but I can't turn around because then he might see me cry.

**Daniel, 17**

A single rap on the window makes me turn. Maude shoos me away with her hand, telling me to go.

The reapings!

I wave gratefully to Maude as I jog away. By the time I reach the square, the reapings have already begun. Grace Lennox looks at me with disapproval, and I wink at her as I slip into my section. The announcer finishes her speech, and snatches a slip of paper from the reaping bowl with her manicured fingers.

"Joseph Lennox!"

My ears tell me something I would rather not have known; I feel my breath seize in my throat as two peacekeepers hold Grace's screaming form away from her younger brother. Joseph's lower lip quivers, and I feel my feet going places I've begged them not to go.

"I volunteer," I say quietly, half-heartedly. No one hears. "I volunteer!" My determined voice hushes the crowd.

"We have a volunteer! What's your name, young man?"

If I say this, I'm dead. I know this, and yet somehow I can't stop myself. It is a reflex, answering a question like that. Who can be asked their name, and not give it automatically?

"Daniel Burns."

A peacekeeper shoves me forward roughly, and I stumble to the stage. Gazing out at the crowd, I'm struck with terror: this is really happening.

"And now for our girl tribute… Aibileen Jude!"

The name feels slippery in my brain; I know it, and yet I can't place it. No one in the audience moves. The peacekeepers are forced to take action, and they reach into the sixteen-year-old girl section, grabbing a short female and yanking her roughly to the aisle between the male and female sections. Aibileen – the avox! Her name hits me as hard as her sucker punch, and I find myself absentmindedly rubbing my sore jaw. She opens her mouth wide in a silent scream, her face torn in anguish, and I grow angry at the roughness with which the peacekeepers yank her forward.

I imagine someone grabbing Grace that way, hurting Grace, and I imagine her being unable to speak, unable to say that it hurts. And I imagine everyone watching as though this is okay.

If someone can't speak, then I will speak for them. Not because I want to, but because someone should.

"Let her go!" I shout, jumping from the stage and running to the peacekeepers. "You're hurting her!"

The crowd falls silent, watching me in shock. The peacekeepers stare me down for a moment, but tributes are sacred; no harm can come to us outside the arena. Inside, there are no rules. But outside, we are gods.

Slowly, reluctantly, they shove her toward me. Aibileen stares at me, her face full of pain and fear. I take her hand and gently lead her to the stage. As soon as we're safely away from the peacekeepers, however, she snatches her hand away angrily. I forgive her for this; to be unable to defend myself, unable even to speak for myself, would be infuriating.

"District seven, I give you your tributes!" the announcer shouts with glee. "Shake hands, children!"

I offer my hand to Aibileen, and she stares at it for a moment, as though contemplating the situation. Then she spits into her own hand and shakes mine. That's okay, I want to tell her. Saliva doesn't bother me. I wipe it nonchalantly on my work pants as we head to the goodbye rooms. I wonder, briefly, what it will be like to sit in them alone. To have no one to say goodbye to.

My father is dead, my mother too sick to leave the house. All I have is Maude, and she never attends the reapings; they are simply too sad for her. But the door opens anyway, and two figures walk in.

Grace and Joseph.

"Thanks, Mister Danny," Joseph says shyly.

"No problem, buddy," I tell him warmly, patting him on the back.

"Daniel…" Grace struggles to find the right words.

"It's okay. It was my choice."

She says nothing more, simply presses something small into my hand. And then they're gone.

I open my palm and a silver chain winks at me. Hooked on the chain is a small pendant: a pine tree. I kiss the tree before hooking the chain around my neck, though as I do so I wonder if my feelings for Grace are fading. I remember the cold way in which she's treated me every moment up until this one.

Do I have to die in order for her to love me? I would do anything for her, I would. No matter what. Her gentle beauty captivates me. But I think that I'm done idolizing her. Girls think that all a guy wants is beauty, but they don't understand: kindness is what's attractive. And Grace lacks the warmth I'm looking for.

Though she's nowhere near as bad as Aibileen.

We sit across from each other at a large dining table on the train. She stares me down for several minutes before pulling out a small pad of paper and a pencil. After scribbling something down, she passes the pad to me.

_Sorry about the sucker punch. And the spit._

I offer her a conciliatory smile. "Don't worry about it. The unbearable pain should die down in a week or so." She smiles sheepishly, and I marvel at how it lights up her otherwise ordinary face. "You're pretty tough, you know that?" Aibileen sticks out her chin proudly. "So, are you… are you an avox?"

I feel nervous asking, not wanting to upset her any further. But she sticks her tongue out with pride.

"Oh," I say lamely, having not expected that. "You're not an avox. So, you just… what, can't talk?"

She takes the pad back, writes something down, and hands it to me.

_Mute._

"I see. You know, I never introduced myself. I'm Daniel. You're Aibileen, right?"

_Abe._

"Abe?" She nods affirmatively. "Cool name. Listen, Abe… if you want… I mean, if you needed help… like, someone to… talk for you…"

I trail off when I see her unnerving stare. She scribbles again.

_Be my voice._

"You want… uh, you want me to… speak for you?

She underlines the words _be my voice. _Then she writes another word, one I would never have expected from her: _please. _Her hand shakes as she hands me the pad, and I suddenly understand how demeaning this is for her, how infuriating. If I couldn't speak for myself, needed to ask someone to speak _for_ me… I think I would be just as angry as Abe.

"Okay, Abe," I say gently. "I'll be your voice."

A brilliant smile crosses her face.

**District 8**

**Niels Valence, 15**

"Hey, Gramps," I call cheerfully as I unlock my front door.

"Get me my medical marijuana," he grumbles grumpily from his perpetual post in our family's torn armchair by the front window.

"Grandpa, no more pot. Remember what the doctor said?"

"I've got kidney stones older than that doctor, Nelly. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"_Niels_, Gramps. I'm _Niels. _And pot is bad for you. I'll get you a glass of water instead."

"I know pot is bad for me, I'm not an idiot! That's why I take medical marijuana, you bastard. They call it medicine for a reason, you know."

"Okay, Grandpa." I mosey on into the kitchen, where my father sits yawning at the table. Without so much as a wave, he's off for his shift at the thread factory, where I've just returned from. Someone has to be home at all times; we live in a seedy neighborhood. And Grandpa wouldn't be much help against any burglars; his memory is so shot that every other day he thinks he's in the Hunger Games. Although the reasoning behind this is lost to me, as he was never even in the Games in the first place.

"Drink your water, Grandpa," I say gently, handing him a plastic cup so it doesn't break when he inevitable throws it.

"Did you poison this, you bitch?"

"No, Grandpa. We're in our living room in District eight. I'm your grandson. It's just water."

"…I know that," he says in embarrassment, having returned momentarily to the real world. But within moments he's becomes lost in his mind once more, and he angrily throws the plastic cup at my head, spilling water all over the carpet. "I thought you were my ally! How could you tell the careers where I was hiding?"

"Okay, Grandpa, I'm taking you to the reapings now." I help him out of his armchair and into the ratty old wheelchair we picked up at the hospital the last time Grandpa stabbed Dad for being a career. I wheel Grandpa to the reapings in what he refers to as the 'electric chair.'

"For our male tribute… Niels Valence!"

I pause in my tracks, embarrassed at being caught coming in late and terrified of taking my hands off of Grandpa's wheelchair. A peacekeeper shoves me toward the stage, leaving my grandpa behind to fend for himself. My feet drag me forward, but my brain seems to lag behind.

"And our female tribute is… Desdemona Moor!"

A small Spanish girl is taken from the 13-year-olds' section and pushed to the stage. She climbs the steps like a doomed prisoner, her entire body shaking. We're forced to shake hands, and as we do so she whispers something nervously under her breath.

"No me gusta."

I'm not familiar with the meaning of this saying, or even the language, but fear is universal and I catch it in her voice.

The goodbye room is small and comfortable, yet empty. My only visitor is Grandpa, who is wheeled in by a peacekeeper that he keeps referring to as President Snow.

"And I'm telling you, Mr. President, I fought honorably for you in my Games. You're a damn good man, and I always have my eyes peeled out for rebels. In fact, my granddaughter, Nelly, has been trying to poison me for years. She knows how high I am on the Panem hierarchy. That rebel should be whipped and executed, I'm telling you."

I cough loudly and Grandpa stares at me in surprise, as if he hadn't realized I was here.

"Nelly! I didn't see you there. Have you been spying on me?"

The peacekeeper leaves with an annoyed grunt, as if being a wheelchair-pusher is below him. Grandpa stares at the window for a moment before wheeling himself over to me.

"Listen, Nelson," he says quietly. "Don't let them take your memory. That's the worst thing you can lose. Even worse than losing a friend or a lover. Don't ever give them your memory, because they can't take it unless you let them. Don't ever let anyone touch your memory. It's the most valuable thing you own."

"Okay, Grandpa," I whisper back, afraid that any loud voice might scare away his momentary sanity.

"And one more thing. If you ever try to poison my water again I'll slit your throat, you little bitch."

"Will do, Gramps."

**District 9**

**June Leonardo, 17**

The hunting grounds are always open in District 9.

I string an arrow across my bow and wait patiently for my prey to cease moving. The deer lifts its head and stares directly into my eyes.

_Kill it, you little sissy._

_Don't kill it. It's a harmless animal._

_You're a baby if you don't do this. Let the arrow go._

I let the arrow fly; when choosing between the competing voices in my head, I generally go with the devil. My arrow sings through the distance between my prey and I, sinking into the deer's flesh within the span of a few seconds.

_Nice shot._

_Are you kidding me? You nearly missed. Pathetic._

"June? June!" I turn my head to face my hunting partner, Calvin. He scrambles forward and snatches the deer's legs. "You spaced out again, man."

"Sorry," I murmur as he carries our kill to the butcher's. There is an unchangeable hierarchy in District 9: there are those who hunt, and those who carry. Calvin will forever be a carrier, I the hunter. That's simply how it is. I will get the lion's share of our earnings, and Calvin will receive a few coins to rub together for his trouble.

"We've got to hurry, dude," Calvin continues, grunting under the weight of the deer. "Reaping day."

_Volunteer._

_Don't volunteer!_

_Volunteer!_

"Did you hear me?"

"Huh?" I spin my head to look at Calvin again.

"I said, I've got the deer. You go the reapings. No sense in both of us getting whipped for being late."

"You're the best, Calvin." I clap him happily on the back and take off for the district square.

**Haley Jay, 12**

"Are you alright?" I ask the little girl in front of me. Her knee is scraped up and bleeding.

"I tripped on my way here," she sniffles.

"Here. Let me help. I've got some bandages in my coat pocket." I ruffle through the various items in my coat before pulling out some adhesive bandages and helping the girl dress her minor wound.

"Thanks," she says shyly.

"No problem." I give her a warm smile.

Turning my eyes back to the stage, I notice a tall boy standing beside the announcer: the male tribute. Which means the girls are next. My stomach fills with butterflies, but I know the chances of my name being picked are slim.

"Haley Jay!" the announcer chirps.

My feet walk of their own accord, and the only thing I can think as I ascend the stage is this: I'm glad it was me, and not any of the other girls in District 9.

**District 10**

**Dolly, 16**

"Hey, it's the freak show!"

"Look everybody – is it a girl or a boy? Nobody knows!"

"And there's Ghost Boy!"

The popular kids laugh and point, whispering cruel jokes to each other as we pass. I stand tall, sticking my chin out as we pass the crowd; Charles hides behind me, his albino skin glowing in the sunlight.

"Hey, Charles, how are you doing today?" a beautiful girl asks him, obviously an attempt to get him to say something inappropriate, as he is prone to do without realizing or understanding why it causes laughter and weird glances from the other children.

"Leave him alone," I command, towering over the twig beneath me. The girl raises her eyebrows and laughs at me until I take a step closer, at which point she nervously backs up.

"Whatever," she giggles uncertainly, waiting to see how angry I'll get.

But I simply keep walking; today is reaping day, and I have no time for bullies. Charles and I walk the two miles to my house and around to the fields spanning the countryside. One of my father's horses trots up to us, and Charles happily pets the beast. I leave my friend with the animals as I race upstairs to change into my reaping outfit: a bright pink dress and ballerina flats that greatly contrast my large feet. I heap on the makeup, hoping to make myself look prettier and more girly – fake eyelashes, blue eye shadow, pink lipstick. My hair remains in two pigtails, and I place as much jewelry as I can find on my body.

I step back to admire my work, and gasp. I look like a cross-dressing man. Tears sting my eyes, and the cruel comments of my classmates echo in my ears.

_Is it a girl or boy? Nobody knows!_

_Freak!_

That's the worst one: _freak_. I am not a circus freak; I am not someone to be laughed at. I am a girl with feelings; I am a human being. No matter what anyway says, words do hurt – they are, and have always been, the most painful weapon you could ever encounter.

"Dolly!" my mother calls. "Dolly, I've made lunch for you and your friend!"

No matter how often Charles comes over, my mother refuses to call him by his name. This is her way of politely refusing to acknowledge him. It is the same as taking your younger sibling to a party because your parents forced you to; the sibling can look at others, they can engage in small talk, but they may not be friends with your friends, and they may not use their name. I imagine this is the real reason Cain hated Abel; it had little to do with the isolated incident that everyone always states. It's all about consistently knocking someone down. Who is that kid? That's Abel's brother. Abel's brother, who is so much less important that he does not even worthy of his own name; he only exists in relation to Abel. He is subhuman, for no other reason than that someone, somewhere, decided that this little boy was not as good as all of the other little boys.

Or perhaps I am projecting.

"Oh!" my mother gasps, her hand flying over her mouth as I descend the stairs. This moment, this should have been a good one: the beautiful daughter rounding the banister, the proud mother tearing up because of what a lovely young woman her kin has become. But instead, tears gather in my mother's eyes because of how much pain it causes her to see me, the ugly beast she has the misfortune to call her own. "Dolly, you look… pretty."

I smile at her as though everything is okay, as though I am unaware of how much she's struggling not to sob. And then I run out the door, ignoring her thoughtful lunch and charging to our barn, the only place in the world where I am not the ugliest creature around.

**Dara, 12**

The slaughterhouse is roaring when I arrive. I see my parents right there in the thick of things, throwing levers that carry doomed animals directly into the belly of the beast. Screams, grunts, and terrified snorts are emitted by the animals that hang upside down, their back legs tied to a conveyor belt on the ceiling by tight, uncomfortable ropes.

A refreshing spray of blood hits my clothing as I slip around the animals and machines; I quiver in excitement. Finally, I find what I'm looking for: the extractor. I snatch the extractor, which is really just a large set of pliers, and run out of the slaughterhouse.

I charge down the alleyway closest to the slaughterhouse and past the tightly packed, dilapidated houses of my neighborhood. Chain link fences, cardboard windows, and broken glass scattered in the streets: this is my home. And here amongst the chaos, I thrive.

An over-grazed wasteland lies a few yards past my neighborhood; I anxiously race to my wonderful lair of torture. In my coat is a writhing snake; I slowly lift the menacing creature out and drop him on the ground, quickly stepping down on his body. Something in his slippery snakey skin snaps, and a delightful shiver of satisfaction runs up my spine. The snake can no longer move, and I know that it's time to perform my experiment, while the snake is still able to feel the pain.

I bend to the ground and pry the snake's mouth open with one hand, inserting the extractor with the other. Latching the extractor onto a prominent fang, I give a laudable yank. There's a popping noise as the fang comes out, after some struggling; the snake writhes in the ground, and I delight in how much pain I am capable of causing the thing.

My laughter echoes off the dead trees around me as I race back home, the snake fang clenched tightly, victoriously, in my fist.

I wait for the gang in our meeting place: the sidewalk outside the slaughterhouse, so that whoever is forced to stand there impatiently until the others arrive can at least be entertained by the sound of tortured and dying animals. When I arrive, the entire gang is assembled, waiting for their leader. That's me, despite the fact that I'm the youngest one of us.

Brutus, Henry, Agam, and Dudley stand together, profoundly excited for the reapings.

"Dude, I can't wait to see who gets picked," Agam tells us.

"The looks on their faces will be priceless!" Brutus chimes in.

"Yeah, yeah," I say, waving my hand disinterestedly at my gang. "It'll be great. But there's still time to teach a kid a lesson first."

The boys grin, and we all yank out our black masks; the masks make me feel as though we're a rough gang of cowboys, or perhaps desperados. The reason I made them, however, was to ensure our anonymity: nobody knows, although I daresay they suspect, that we are the culprits behind so many beatings in District 10.

We wait outside the library for several minutes before a nerd walks out. Brutus and Agam jump the kid and drag him behind the library, where we can beat him up behind the dumpsters. I start with a little fancy fist-work, and then move on to kicking. By the time the boy has been sufficiently beaten, it's nearly time for the reapings. The gang eggs me on as I leave our official mark on the kid: a large 'X' sliced onto the back of his hand.

It's the best kind of scar: a permanent one.

**Dolly, 16**

Charles and I are forced to separate at the reapings, but I tell him to wait for me so that I can walk him home safely afterward.

And then the festivities begin.

A young boy, Dara O'Gaur, is reaped first. He stands upon the stage, petrified, staring at a group of four other boys as if he expects them to volunteer for them. None of them so much as blink.

It's a pity, too, because Dara is a sweet-looking little boy, and he gives off the impression of being an angel. Of all people, he certainly doesn't deserve this.

"Dolly Domaine!"

And neither do I.

It's not until Charles visits me in the goodbye room that the full gravity of the situation starts to hit me: who will take care of him when I'm gone? But Charles, my best friend in the whole world, pulls through for me.

He hands me my token. He says that he made it for me. It's a bracelet made of fabric, nothing out of the ordinary, with four white ducklings stitched into the design. And then, all alone, is one little black duckling, and I understand immediately what this bracelet means.

Charles and I, we are black ducklings among the white.

I tie it lovingly around my wrist and hug my friend goodbye.

**District 11**

**Harper, 14**

Reed, my older brother, yells at me from across the field. I follow his voice to the blueberry section, where he's watching a tall, Native-looking boy chop down a tree.

"What is it?" I ask Reed.

"They're clearing that field. What do you think is going on?"

"They're expanding," I gulp. That's never good; more jobs means more children pulled from school to tend the fields. And that means that our younger siblings are going to be out here in the hot sun, losing out on their education just as we are, very soon.

The tall boy by the tree wields a lethal-looking axe with his strong arms. His dark hair falls halfway down his bronze, shirtless back, and a small braid on the left side of his face has a feather entwined in it. Reed and I watch as the boy takes down our beloved trees.

"Forget it," Reed tells me soothingly. "Let's just go to the reapings, Harper."

I nod, spinning around in my yellow dress to follow my brother.

**Bidzill, 17**

Two small children watch me work, and I find it quite unnerving; they seem oblivious to the fact that I can clearly see them staring at me. Finally, they leave, and it is only then that I remember the reapings I'm supposed to be attending.

With a swift, final chop, I fell the tree. One down, only a few hundred to go. I place the axe carefully beside the horizontal tree, positive that I'll be back to finish the job later. Quickly, I sprint home to check on my mother, and then I'm off for the reapings.

If it weren't for me, I honestly don't know what my mother would do. No income, no family, no nothing. I am her world.

"Harper Cosecha!"

A small girl in a pretty yellow dress screams as the peacekeepers tear her away from her brother, who desperately reaches out his hand for her. I bristle at that; if I had to choose the worst thing about the Games, it would be the way families are torn apart without any warning, without any reason.

"Bidzill Farfel!"

And as quickly as a swift axe chopping wood, my family is split in half.

**District 12**

**Laciel, 18**

"Missy, it's almost time for the reapings," I tell the young girl. "Let's go home and get you cleaned up."

She happily skips after me, and I lovingly take her hand. Luke greets as at the door. At the sight of my twin, my heart once again fills with wonder at the thought of him being pulled from that arena of death and carried back home to me.

"You ready for the reapings?" I ask him brightly.

"I have to be a mentor this year," he tells me solemnly, the shadows of the past dancing across his face.

"There's no pressure, Luke. No way you could do worse than Haymitch."

Missy giggles at the mention of Haymitch's name. Every child in District 12 knows Haymitch as the 'silly fat man.'

"Oh, by the way," I add quickly. "Missy and I are going to see Arthur before the reapings, so don't wait up."

Luke's face turns sour.

"_Arthur_," he sneers. "You spend two much time with him."

"He's my boyfriend, Lukey," I sing as I tie Missy's hair in sweet pigtails.

"For now."

"Don't be a grouch."

"Whatever. I'm heading over to the reapings now. Make sure Laciel doesn't do anything stupid, Missy." Luke gives Missy a quick hug.

"Bye, Lukey!" Missy calls as he walks out of our mansion.

Poor Missy. Poor _Luke_. Daryl Rivers was Luke's best friend, ever since kindergarten. When Daryl died in the Games two years ago, when the blind kid from District 6 won, Wesley or something similar, Luke was devastated. And poor Missy, losing her big brother so shortly after her father passed away.

No one knows what killed Missy and Daryl's mother a few months ago, but the general consensus is grief. Which is something I've never understood; grief is not a sickness. It is a state of mind. How could you allow any amount of sadness to separate you from your daughter?

After Luke won last year, things began to look up. We were given a house in the Victor Village, which had previously only been occupied by Haymitch. I still can't quite grasp why there are so many empty mansions sitting out here while the rest of District 12 lives in squalor, but I suppose I should be more grateful.

Missy moved in with us after her mother passed, and for the first time in my life I feel… lucky. After all, all of Panem is referring to my brother as Lucky Luke nowadays. But I know, deep inside, that this will not last; we are not a lucky family. We never have been. And eventually our happiness is bound to be snatched away again.

"Come _on_, Laciel!" Missy calls excitedly from the front door. "Arthur's waiting!"

She was six when her brother died, and now she's grown into a lively eight-year-old. I only wish Daryl could see her now.

"All right, sweetie!" I tell her, taking her hand and leading her to the blacksmith's.

"Arthur!" Missy screams, running around the shop. "Arthur, we're here!"

"Is that Miss Missy?" Arthur asks.

"It's me, Arthur!"

"You know, I have a present for you." Arthur reaches a hand into his apron and pulls out a necklace with a silver pendant bearing the name 'Missy.' Missy squeals as I clasp it around her neck.

"Thank you, Arthur!"

"Did you make that?" I ask, impressed.

"I make jewelry all the time," Arthur answers casually.

"You've never made anything for me."

"Yeah, I generally only give presents to people I like, Lacy." With a smile, he grabs me around the waist and kisses me gently.

If anyone else ever dared to call me Lacy, I would sock them right across the face. But I like the way it sounds on Arthur's tongue.

"You're a jerk," I laugh, shoving him away. "So, how much longer until you're ready to be an actual blacksmith?"

"I _am_ an actual blacksmith."

"You're a blacksmith's apprentice, Artie."

"The end of this year's Games."

"Really?"

"The blacksmith's shop is mine as soon as the Games end," Arthur tells me proudly.

I hug him happily; it's no easy feat to avoid the mines in District 12, and I couldn't be more excited for Arthur.

He's always been a quiet boy, prone to being picked on at school, and occasionally I stood up for him when we were younger. But we never talked to each other; we just didn't run in the same circles. It wasn't until last year, when Luke entered the Games, that we really got to know each other. He stopped by every day to check on Missy, my mother, and I. Arthur's a sweet boy. He's not a genius; he's the athletic equivalent of a middle-school boy; he's certainly not Mr. Popular. But he's sweet. And I like that.

We're both eighteen now, and in District 12 that means it's time to get married and have enough kids to earn a steady income from the mines. Not that I'm interested in the whole raising children thing; I have Missy to take care of, and our family no longer has any financial trouble, thanks to Luke. But I'd still like to be Arthur's wife. Doesn't every girl want that? The blacksmith's wife. Arthur and Laciel. I can't think of anything else I'd like to do with my life.

"We'd better go," Arthur interrupts my thoughts. "Don't want to be late for the reapings."

This is our final year of eligibility, and it brings relief. Finally, an end to the terror. Of course, it will all roll around again in a few years when Missy is eligible, but at least we'll get a break.

I leave Missy in the audience with my mother and head to my section.

"Pawl Temple!"

A young boy, shaking like a leaf, climbs the stage and stares at the crowd with wide, petrified eyes. There's a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach; first Daryl, then Luke, now this poor boy. And then I do my yearly prayer: _not my family. Not my family. Not my family._

"Laciel Eve!"

For a moment, I'm sure that it's a joke. What a cruel twist of fate – they had Lucky Luke last year, and now they want his twin. And the best part? My twin brother will be my mentor.

Of course, it's too perfect to be a coincidence. No, this was planned. The reapings were rigged. I can just imagine the dramatic gasps and delightful squeals of the Capitol audience as they watch the drama unfolding before them. No matter how cheated I feel, that is one truth that I cannot deny: it makes for great entertainment.

My feet seem to move themselves. Before I even realize that I'm moving, I find myself standing on the stage next to little Pawl Temple. Arthur's anguished face stares at me from the crowd; Missy is bawling. But Luke's face is the worst: absolute betrayal. How could they? How? Was one Eve child not enough?

As I try to remember how to breath, my brother shoves his way through the crowd and races onstage next to me; he whispers forcefully at the announcer. There must be a mistake, he insists. This is not possible. I don't care what the slip of paper says, just call a different name. Ruin a different family.

"Luke!" I hiss. "Don't do this. Don't make them mad."

He turns, suddenly aware of the cameras watching his every move.

I nearly cry when Missy hugs me and tearfully says goodbye. But I manage to hold it in, for her. Arthur is next, and he seems incapable of doing anything but staring at me in shock, his face reflecting a profound loss. _I'm not dead yet_, I want to tell him.

"Laciel, just… just take this, okay? Promise me you'll wear it." He hands me a ring.

"What is this?" I ask slowly.

"I've been saving it."

"For when?"

"For the right moment. But I guess this is the best I'm gonna get."

"…It's beautiful. I can't believe you made this. You're going to be the best blacksmith this district has ever seen." My voice cracks, and I focus on slipping the ring onto my finger so that I don't have to stare at Arthur, because I know that if I do I won't be able to keep myself from crying any longer.

"Laciel, I love you."

"Arthur, I'm going to wear this now. But when I get back, I expect you to ask me properly."

He stares at me with a look of pure tragedy, and I realize that he doesn't expect me to come back at all.

* * *

**Tributes:**

**District 1:**

_Iskandar Samir, 18_

_Tammy Harding_

**District 2:**

_Katerina, 17_

_Duval, 16_

**District 3:**

_Remi, 17_

_Alise, 14_

**District 4:**

_Virdiana "Vi"_

_Avenaye Darwin, 17_

**District 5:**

_Jango, 17_

_Madelyn, 17_

**District 6:**

_Elisa, 17_

_Osmium, 16_

**District 7:**

_Daniel, 17_

_Aibileen "Abe" Jude, 16_

**District 8:**

_Niels Valence, 15_

**District 9:**

_June Leonardo, 17_

_Haley Jay, 12_

**District 10:**

_Dolly, 16_

_Dara, 12_

**District 11:**

_Harper, 14_

_Bidzill, 17_

**District 12:**

_Laciel Eve, 18_

_Pawl Temple, 12_


	2. Training

**Luke Eve**

Being a mentor is a pretty sweet gig, as long as you don't care about the children whose lives rest in your hands.

You get the mansion in the Victor Village, the adoration of the public, the free meals, therapy and massages, and as many Avoxes as you ask for. For a minute there, I was almost happy; what a wonderful life I'm going to have, I thought. My luck is beginning to turn. And then a tiny slip of paper destroyed everything I've ever worked for.

Pawl has to die, that's unavoidable. Everyone has to die, of course, except for Laciel. But Pawl is the only one I have direct control over. I will send him no sponsor gifts; I will give him terrible advice; I will kill him all on my own. However, the other tributes pose a distinct threat; I will do my best to ruin their chances from behind the cameras, but in the end my entire world will rest on Laciel's shoulders.

As I walk briskly down the hall, my head down in thought, I feel a sharp pain in my left shoulder. I spin to my left to see who bumped into me so painfully. Whoever it was, they clearly did it intentionally – they would have to be blind not to have seen me.

"Watch where you're going!" I snap, in no mood at all to be dealing with this.

"Would if I could," the perpetrator responds calmly, his strange eyes seeming to rest on nothing.

Oh, shit.

"Weston! I, uh… I didn't know it was… didn't realize it was… you… I mean, because you're… you know…"

"Muscular?"

"Uh… what?" I ask, thoroughly flustered.

"You didn't realize how hard it was for me to squeeze past someone in a hallway, because of my muscles?"

"Um…"

"What, were you gonna say something different? It's because I'm… what?"

"Well… you know…"

"No, I don't know. What are you talking about?"

"Just… I mean… you're…" My voice cracks as I try to find an inoffensive way to talk to Weston, the blind mentor. I let my voice trail off as a smile cuts across his face.

"Got ya," he says happily, clapping me on the shoulder. I flinch, my face burning red in embarrassment. "Gotta learn to lighten up, buddy, or you're never gonna get through these Games."

His easygoing manner immediately puts me at ease, and I'm struck by the stark contrast between the man before me and the man I met last year, before my own Games. The Weston I remember was a moody, sullen mentor who spent half the day talking to himself and the other half swinging from anger to sadness in less time than it takes to count to three, like some kind of self-destructive pendulum.

"You're… different," I tell him in surprise, not unkindly. "What happened?"

"I was drowning myself," he says simply. "And Monk saved me."

Monk – I know that, more than anything else, she certainly messed him up. She was a selfish, lazy, terrified little girl who needed Weston's guidance just as much as he needed her eyes. They complemented each other, I suppose, but I never understood the effect that Monk had on Weston even in death; it was as though she never left him, as though she was still standing beside him, battering him with her endless nagging and complaining.

Which, of course, is ridiculous and quite impossible.

"Lucky for you," I mumble.

"Ah, but you're _Lucky Luke_. Whatever fortune I've had you're sure to get ten-fold." Weston's smile is contagious, and I feel my spirits lifting even as I turn to the therapy office.

"I'm not sure the Gamemakers agree with you," I tell him. "Or else I don't know why they're sending me to the headshrinker."

"You too, huh? I guess insanity is catching." To my amazement, Weston opens the door for me and follows me into the office.

"Oh!" a bumbling, balding, middle-aged man jumps up from his armchair and nervously shakes both of our hands. "I didn't expect you two to come in at the same time… I thought I would have a moment to… explain the situation…"

The situation? I glance at Weston, but his eyes are of course staring intently at nothing.

"See, I, um… I thought it would be helpful to have a… a joint session… seeing as you have… similar issues, and it might… help you two reach your breakthroughs faster if you have… well, a fellow sufferer, as it were…"

"So, like… group therapy?" Weston asks slowly.

"Sure, that's… that's one term for it."

"Sure," Weston says happily with a shrug.

I nod my assent to the strange little man before me, who beams up at us.

"Right, then. I'm Dr. Sansky, and I've been the main therapist for victors for the last thirty years."

No wonder the victors are so messed up.

Dr. Sansky leads both of us to our own armchairs before he repositions himself in his.

"I thought we could begin by telling each other our feelings. We can talk about how you feel now, how you felt in the Games, how you felt before the Games… whatever you'd like. Use the 'I' statement. So, _I_ _felt_ blank, _when_ blank. Weston, why don't you go first?"

"Yeah, I'm not gonna do that," Weston says simply.

"…Oh. Well, alright." Dr. Sansky tries to hide his disappointment as he reaches for a stack of large cards. "Then I suppose we can move on to the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Do you boys know what this is?" I shake my head. "Well, I'm going to hold up each of these cards. They all have a different inkblot on them, and you're going to tell me what you see in each of them. There's no right or wrong answer, so just tell me the first thing you think of when you see them."

Weston remains motionless, and I wonder at how the Gamemakers failed to mention to Dr. Sansky that his patient was blind. But Weston seems content to simply go along with this new turn of events, so I keep my mouth shut. Weston lifts his head at the sound of the good doctor clearing his throat.

"What do you see, Weston?"

"In that picture?"

"Yes."

"I see a man's genitalia."

The room is completely silent. I turn my head and bite down on my fist to hold in my laughter. Dr. Sansky's eyes grow wide in astonishment; he bites down on his lower lip and scribbles something onto a pad of paper.

"What an… unusual reaction," he mumbles before holding up a new picture. "What about this one?"

"Well, that looks like _your_ genitalia, Dr. Sansky."

"Excuse me?"

"Where are you getting these pictures? Did you photograph yourself? Because I don't think it's entirely appropriate for you to be showing me these kinds of pictures."

"I can assure you these are not–"

"I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable with your attention, Dr. If you're coming on to me…"

"Absolutely not! I'm simply–"

"Don't worry, I'm not angry. I just would have worn more attractive attire to our session if I had known, that's all."

"That is absolutely not what's happening! Not in a million years, Mr. Shepp!"

"Oh. Well, now you've hurt my feelings."

"Let's just… let's just move on to the next picture, how about that?" Dr. Sansky takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down before holding up a new inkblot. "What do you see, Weston?"

"I see absolutely nothing."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't see anything. Anything at all."

"Well, how is that possible?"

"I would assume it has something to do with the fact that I'm blind, but I'm not the therapist, so I can't say for sure."

"You're telling me… that you're blind?" Angry red splotches begin to appear on Dr. Sansky's neck, and I wonder if he's going to kick us out.

"Yes, I'm blind. Are you deaf?"

"…Let's just move on to Luke, shall we? Luke, what do you see in this picture?"

He holds up an inkblot that seems to dance before my eyes. Hunter's bleeding body stares at me, crying out for help. The red liquid pools around my feet. Aleta screams.

"I see a field of flowers."

"What about this one?"

Daryl bleeding out, Marilynn sobbing over his body as she begs him to stay with her. The light draining from my best friend's eyes and the useless feeling that overcomes me as he dies on my television.

"A puppy."

"And this?"

Before I can answer, someone bursts in the door.

"Sorry!" the young peacekeeper says quickly, his wild eyes turning on Weston and I. "We need you in the training room. Your tributes are waiting for you."

Weston jumps up, thrilled to be ending this idiotic session. "Thank you for all your help, Doctor. This little chat has been very enlightening. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

I nod in agreement and follow Weston out the door; the minute it slams behind us we burst out laughing.

"I can't believe you messed with him like that!" I manage to choke out through my laughter.

"They're all idiots, every last one of these Capitol people. If you don't mess around with them, they'll bore you to death."

"Excuse me?" the peacekeeper asks awkwardly. "If you could just follow me to the training room…"

"Of course," I grunt, containing my laughter enough to follow the man down the hall.

**Jango, 17**

My stomach growls as I enter the cafeteria for breakfast; I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning.

I fill my tray with as much food as it can hold and survey the tables before me. When I spot my angel from across the room, I make a beeline for her booth.

"Hey," I say loudly, sliding in across from her. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"You didn't know I'd be eating breakfast?" she mumbles, giving me a look that doesn't exactly portray a message of love.

"I'm just saying it's a coincidence that we're both sitting at the same table," I continue, digging into my scrambled eggs.

"I saw you looking for me, Jango. You followed me and then sat down across from me."

"Well, no… no, that's not… just a happy coincidence, that's all."

"Okay, Jango."

There's a loud buzzer, and all tributes are called to the training room. Madelyn watches in disgust as I stuff several pancakes into my coat pockets.

"For later," I explain. This is how I survived after my parents kicked me out; waste not, want not.

She shakes her head and heads off to the training room, me tailing close behind her.

**Daniel, 17**

I stand in the training room, completely unsure of where to go. What would help me most in the arena? I'm still contemplating this question when Abe silently appears at my side. I flinch; she's like a ghost.

"Where are you heading?" I ask her.

She points to the camouflage station and raises her eyebrows questioningly.

"Good a place to start as any," I answer with a shrug of my shoulders.

To get to the camouflage station, we have to pass the pool. Madelyn is pleading with Jango, begging him to take just quick dip. I don't blame her – he smells like a sewer. But apparently Jango can't swim. Katerina, the sexiest tribute by far, struts by the pool, catching my eye as she does so. A sly smile crosses her face and she walks up to me.

"Hey, big boy," she says seductively. "I hope you're about to take your shirt off and jump in that pool."

I duck my head sheepishly, feeling a blush creep into my face. She's a beautiful girl and I feel self-conscious around her, despite the fact that it's blatantly obvious to me what's going on: Katerina thinks she's irresistible, and now she's flirting with me in the hopes of manipulating me. I saw the reapings; I know she has a boyfriend back home. Perhaps she thinks I'm dense, or easily swayed by woman. Or maybe she's just overestimating herself. In any case, I feel no need to get on her bad side; and after all, it could be good to have her think I'm under her spell.

"I bet a pretty girl like you could get any guy in this room to take his shirt off," I say, putting on my best shy face.

Katerina gives me a flirtatious wink before turning to Abe. "I'm parched. Go get me some water."

Abe stares at Katerina with her mouth slightly open in shock. I squint my eyes in confusion, trying to understand what prompted this. It's easy enough for me to figure out, but before I can mend the situation Abe reaches into the water with cupped hands and carries out a sizable amount of liquid, which she promptly pours onto Katerina's shirt.

"What the hell?" Katerina screams at Abe.

"She's not an Avox," I explain.

Katerina stares at Abe for a moment, her eyes filled with fury, before she decides to play it cool. "Oh. Well, how's anyone supposed to know if she never talks?"

"It's okay," I say with a shrug. "It's an easy mistake."

It's not until the words are out of my mouth that I realize how they must sound to Abe. Abe stares at me with murderous eyes before grabbing a small arm float from a diving board and squeezing it angrily with her hands, desperately trying to distract herself from a conversation that's obviously upsetting her.

"She didn't have to make such a big deal about it," Katerina tells me with a roll of her eyes.

I can tell Abe doesn't enjoy the way Katerina is talking about her as if she isn't here, but I maintain my belief that it's best not to get on the bad side of any Career, so I silently decide not to stick up for Abe.

"So, anyway," Katerina begins, changing the subject. "What do you think you'll be wearing for the chariot rides? Something to show off your muscles, probably?"

She gives me a flirtatious smile, and I return it quickly. "I'm more interested in what _you'll_ be wearing," I tell her.

As if to remind us that she's still here, Abe squeezes the arm float so hard it explodes with a loud _pop_.

"I have no idea what those idiot Capitol designers are going to stick me in," Katerina continues as if Abe had never made a peep. "I'm going to freak out if they put me in something ugly."

"You'd look good in anything," I say quietly, momentarily mesmerized by her beauty. I don't mean to fill my voice with such lust but I get lost in her body and my physical attraction to Katerina is obvious to everyone.

That's when Abe does the very thing that made her stand out during the reapings: she spits. The perfect little projectile lands directly in Katerina's hair and Abe storms past Katerina.

"Abe, wait!" I shout, but she ignores me.

Unfortunately, Katerina is closer to Abe. "So you want to play that game, huh?" Katerina hisses, grabbing Abe's arm and yanking her closer. While Katerina is tall, Abe is short, and Katerina easily overpowers the younger girl. With a malicious smile and a shove, Katerina sends Abe flying into the pool.

"Catch you later, handsome." Katerina winks at me and strolls off.

No one in the training room even turns their head; they must assume the splash was simply someone jumping into the pool. Abe's head breaks through the surface of the water, and by the way she struggles I get the feeling she can't swim. I reach my hand down and help her out of the water; she immediately attempts to charge after Katerina, eager to fight. Grabbing Abe around the stomach, I hold her back.

"Abe, no!" I hiss. "If the peacekeepers see you fighting, they'll punish you!" She kicks and wriggles around in an attempt to escape my hold. "Abe, please!"

Finally, all of the fight goes out of here. She goes limp in my arms, defeated.

"I'm going to let you go," I say slowly. "But only if you promise not to go after Katerina."

She nods solemnly and I release her. Abe stands before me, dripping wet and utterly defeated; I grab a towel from the pool supply shelf and wrap it around her. The other tributes are beginning to stare, clearly wondering why she would have jumped into the pool fully clothed. I can almost see the anger boiling inside Abe, and she begins to shake in pure fury. Knowing she's only a few seconds away from tackling someone, I put my arm around her shoulder and guide her into the nearest men's bathroom.

"Abe," I say sternly, pulling her in front of the sinks. "You can't fight before the Games."

She kicks the wall in angry defiance to me, and the sound echoes against the tiles.

"She only pushed you in because you spit on her, Abe! Why were you mad at her anyway? Because she called you an Avox?"

Abe turns her head away from me, refusing to admit what upset her in the first place.

"Abe, come on. Was it because we were ignoring you? I didn't… I was just trying to get on Katerina's good side. She's a Career. I don't want her to have a grudge against us in the arena."

Abe watches me speak to her in the mirror, but her face remains impassive. I think back, trying to calculate the exact moment that set her off. I had just spoken something to Katerina… _You'd look good in anything._

"…Was it because we were flirting?" I ask quietly. Abe shakes her head vehemently, hugging the towel tighter to herself. This self-protective action gives her away, and I understand that it was the flirting that upset her - but why? Was she angry that I would flirt with a girl who had called her an Avox? …Or was she jealous?

Just then, Avenaye comes bursting through the door.

"Oh!" he says in surprise. "I, uh… didn't know you guys were…" He clears his throat awkwardly.

"She fell in the pool," I half-lie. "She's just drying off."

"Okay, well I need to go the bathroom, so I'll just be a minute." He walks up to a urinal.

"Avenaye! Can you wait two minutes?"

"I really have to go, bro."

"Can you use another bathroom?"

"I don't think I'm gonna make it, dude. Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair in a minute."

Abe turns to me in horror as an audible stream of liquid hits the urinal. I hold the bridge of my nose and wait for Avenaye to finish. But instead he starts talking.

"Did you catch the game last night?" he asks casually as he continues to pee.

"For crying out loud," I murmur.

Finally, Avenaye finishes up. "Okay, catch you guys later!" he calls jovially over his shoulder as he walks out of the bathroom without washing his hands.

I raise my eyebrows at Abe, and that's when I notice her body shaking in laughter. She emits no sound, but the joy on her face is enough for me. I can't help but laugh with her.

"Are your clothes almost dry?" I ask as we calm down.

She shakes her head and opens the towel; her clothes are still completely soaked, still dripping water all over the floor.

"Let's go to the laundry room. I'm sure the Avoxes will give you new training clothes."

We duck out of the bathroom and leave training early, but luckily no one seems to notice. I follow the signs in the hallway to the laundry room, which is huge and buzzing with activity.

"Where can we get new clothes?" I ask the closest Avox. She stares at me before making a confusing gesture with her hands. "New clothes?" I ask again, but it's no use. She simply repeats the same gesture.

Abe steps in front of me, and her own hands fly into a flurry of motion. The Avox smiles brightly at my mute friend, and they appear to have an entire conversation with their hands. I watch, completely lost, until Abe heads off to the opposite end of the room, where she does the same thing with another Avox, who smiles and hands her a new set of clothes. Abe disappears into a back room and I wait awkwardly among the Avoxes. I stand for what feels like forever as the mute servants bustle about around me until Abe finally emerges from the other room in completely dry clothes. Only her hair remains wet.

"Abe," I say quietly, pushing her closer to the wall for a more private conversation. "What were you doing with the Avoxes? Was that sign language?"

Abe's eyes watch me in fear and she tries to shove past me to escape. I vaguely understand that she's worried I'll turn her in for communicating with the Avoxes.

"No, Abe, I'm not going to hurt you." I place myself next to her against the wall so that she no longer feels trapped or threatened. "Were you using sign language?" Her eyes watch me wildly, and I can tell she's still terrified. "Abe, that's brilliant. Can you teach me?"

Now she raises her face and watches me with wary confusion.

"You can't be writing me notes every time you need to say something in the arena. If you could teach me sign language, it might end up saving our lives." I lean in closer to her and whisper the next part in her ear. "Plus, none of the other tributes would be able to understand us. We could communicate right in front of them and they wouldn't understand a word we were saying, Abe. Do you know how helpful that would be in the arena?"

Abe analyzes my face for any trickery or lies, but seems to find none. She makes a 'follow me' signal and takes off down the hallway.

**Iskandar, 18**

I glance around the cafeteria at lunchtime and try to find the Career table. When I finally do, I groan at how far the walk is.

"Hey, everybody," I say cheerily as I slide in next to Avenaye. Across from us sit Katerina and Tammy. I need to establish myself as someone useful as soon as possible. "So, I got a lot of intense training in, what about you guys?"

"You went to the camping section and took a nap in one of the tents," Tammy accuses.

Damn her!

"Well, I look like a lot of other people here. You're probably thinking of someone else."

"No. It was you."

I wince, trying to think of a way to cover up my laziness.

"I was testing out the tents," I mumble half-heartedly.

"I'm sure Candy was just brushing up on his camping skills," Avenaye says through a mouthful of chicken.

"Candy?" I ask.

"Iskandar… Kandar… Kand… Kandy…"

"Why do you have to shorten my name at all?"

"It just saves time, Candy."

"Actually," Tammy muses. "I think you could make the argument that it _wastes_ time. Considering how you had to spell it out for everyone…"

"I suppose you're right, Dancing Monkey."

"What?"

"You seem hell-bent on impressing everybody. Always showing off your skills, just like a dancing monkey, Dancing Monkey."

"But that's longer than my actual name!"

"It makes it easier for everyone to remember who you are. There are just too many tributes. It's nothing personal."

"Stop being idiots," Katerina snaps at us.

"Okey-dokey, Kit Kat."

"That is not my name. Do not call me that."

"What about Caterpillar? Or Kat-tastrophe?"

"Shut up. Right now."

"You're the boss."

I glance around, hoping more than anything that no one witnessed this less than intimidating Career conversation.

**Bidzill, 17**

Most of the tributes are morally inept and lack any sort of work ethic. The only two who haven't bothered me thus far are Madelyn and Abe, the two quietest tributes. Their silence speaks of stoicism, and therefore I don't mind them. When choosing where to sit in the cafeteria, however, I eliminate Madelyn as she's sitting across from Jango and I don't think I'll be able to eat without gagging at his smell.

So I choose to sit near Abe, who is sitting across from Daniel. When I approach their booth I find them leaning intensely over a thick book that appears to have come from the library below the training room.

"Can I sit here?" I grunt, disliking the act of asking for permission.

"Of course," Daniel says, smiling much too happily for my liking. "I'm Daniel, and this is Abe. You're Bidzill, right?"

I nod and slide into the booth next to Daniel. As I do so, Abe snaps the book closed and slides it secretively onto the seat next to her.

"Hi!" A cheery little girl sits next to Abe. "I'm Desdemona!"

Abe silently stares at the girl with wide eyes and an expressionless face. It's unnerving, to say the least.

"Bidzill," I grunt.

"And I'm Daniel, and this is Abe." Daniel offers Desdemona a friendly smile.

"What are you reading?" Desdemona asks curiously, reaching for Abe's book. Without a moment's hesitation, Abe shoves the tiny girl right out of the booth; Desdemona falls to the floor in surprise.

"Abe!" Daniel reprimands. Abe simply shrugs. "Desdemona, I'm really sorry, she's just got a… temper."

At the word 'temper,' Abe snatches her book and angrily stalks out of the cafeteria, but not before shoving Daniel's drink off the table and spilling it in his lap. I laugh as Daniel and Desdemona deal with the aftermath of Abe's fury: Daniel desperately trying to wipe off his clothes with a napkin and Desdemona rubbing her sore rear as she takes a seat once more.

"Why does she keep getting mad at me?" Daniel sighs in annoyance.

"Are you kidding me?" I ask, astounded by his stupidity. "A, no one likes it when you apologize for them. If they don't apologize, it means they don't want to. B, you blamed it on her temper, and apparently she thought Desdemona deserved it."

Daniel looks at me in amazement. "You really understand people, don't you?" he asks slowly.

"People are simple." I hand him my own napkin, which he takes gratefully.

"You'll certainly be intimidating in the arena."

"Hmm," I grunt. What I don't tell him is that, in my humble opinion, he won't last five minutes in the arena.

**Dara, 12**

At lunch, I sit with Osmium. As he stealthily pops pills into his mouth, I try to decide on the best way to poison him.

It would be easy enough to put something toxic in some marijuana and wait for him to snort it, but I cringe at the mess powder might create. If you're going to poison someone, you don't want even the slightest trace of the stuff left behind after the dirty deed is done. So I guess, theoretically, I'd want to put something in a pill; that way, his stomach acids would destroy the evidence for me, and there'd be nothing left to point to me.

But what, exactly, would I put in the pills? And then there's the tricky part – getting it in the pills in the first place. Perhaps I should find a needle, and simply wait for him to shoot something into his veins. That seems the easiest route, though some complications might arise if –

"You take more pills than my grandfather," Niels says good-naturedly to Osmium.

"I… I mean… it's my medicine," Osmium retorts, hastily devouring the remainder of his pills.

"You sure need a lot of medicine…" Laciel murmurs.

"Oh, so you think I'm on something?" Osmium shouts wildly, his red-shot eyes bulging.

Niels, Laciel, and I lean away from Osmium. He suddenly begins to pant; he tosses another couple of pills into his mouth before glaring at the three of us and scampering out of the cafeteria, anxiously glancing from side to side as he does so, as if afraid someone is after him.

Shortly after Osmium leaves, Elisa takes his place at the table. She sets to work cleaning up the mess Osmium left; throwing away the empty pill containers, throwing out the used napkins, wiping down the table. Eventually, she deems it clean enough to place her tray upon, and when she does I see that all of her foods are perfectly proportioned and none of them are touching. I'm tempted to spill her peas over into her rice, just to see what she'll do.

**June, 17**

After lunch, I immediately take up a post by the camping station, hoping to find a quiet place to better hear the arguing voices in my head. But soon enough Remi, Alise, Haley, and Harper are all crowding around the station, testing their abilities to pitch tents and start fires. Thinking now is as good a time as any, I try to pick out an ally. Eventually I decide on Remi, the quietest tribute before me.

"Hey, Remi," I say quietly as his tent collapses before him. I pick up one end and hold it up for him as he tries to reassemble it. "You seem like a smart guy. What are your plans for the arena?"

He glances up at me disinterestedly. "Haven't decided yet," he says calmly.

_Good. Get him in alliance. He's quiet, and he won't bother you._

_No! You can do better than that. Mess with his head and leave._

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I heard Harper and Haley talking. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but I caught something along the lines of _Remi… Too strong… kill… bloodbath…_ I don't know what any of it means, but I just figured you'd want to know."

Remi raises his head and stares at me, clearly a little shaken. I give a little wave and head off to the plant identifying station. As I do so, I immediately regret what I've done; there's no way I'm going to get allies this way. And now that Remi is off the table, I honestly can't think of a single tribute who wouldn't annoy the hell out of me in the arena.

_Excellent! He'll be so afraid of those girls he won't be able to think straight!"_

At least the voice in my head is happy.


	3. Scores and Interviews

**Elisa, 17**

As Osmium and I prepare to talk to our mentor, I feel a rush of nerves creep up on me.

Everyone in District 6 knows about Weston Shepp.

_I was in the general store buying my family's weekly groceries. As I reached for the canned peaches, I heard a drunken man wolf whistle. Turning around, I saw him staring at Kallie, the Victor's wife, with hungry eyes. All of a sudden Weston appeared, his fist colliding instantly with the other man's nose._

_An audible crack echoed through the aisle and Kallie gasped. Before Weston could touch the man again, she grabbed her husband around the shoulders and whispered in his ear._

"_Weston. Weston, stay with me. Stay with me."_

_As I watched, the man before me seemed to return from whatever horrid place he had visited in his mind. Immediately, he walked up to the fallen drunk with the broken nose and offered the man his hand. Weston helped the drunk up, apologized vehemently for the nose job, and insisted on taking him to the hospital. Kallie was very careful to purchase enough food to make dinner for three people, and I came to understand that they would have that disgusting man over for a meal that night. What kind people, I thought. What strange, kind people._

Now that temperamental and giving man sits at a table before me, a friendly smile drawn loosely on his face. Osmium comes stumbling through the door behind me as I sit down.

"You both know why you're here, so I'll skip the introductions," Weston says, his eyes glazed over and staring at the wall behind us. "Tell me what you can do."

"Archery," I say simply.

"Good. What about you, Osmium?"

"It's really hot in here. Is anyone else hot?" Osmium fans his hand dramatically in front of his face as the sweat drips down his body.

"It's freezing in here, Os. Now, what can you do?"

"Well… You guys really aren't hot? I'm burning up over here."

"So Elisa does archery and Osmium can judge the temperature. That's great. I've got a really good feeling about you two."

My face burns in embarrassment and I resist the urge to send a mean look Osmium's way. Bullying is never the answer, no matter how infuriating it is to have Osmium's inability to go two minutes without drugs reflect upon my own abilities and chances of survival.

"What about alliances?" Weston continues.

"I've been watching some of the girls," I say carefully. "Harper and Haley seem nice. So does Dara."

"You really want to ally with the nice tributes? That's the easiest way to lose the Games."

"I want an ally I can trust."

Something changes in Weston's face. "Trust me when I tell you that the worst mistake you can make is allying with the weakest tribute just because it's safer, or because you want to protect them. Because it's only going to hurt more when you lose them."

"How could it possibly hurt more than losing anyone else?"

"Because for the rest of your life you have to live with the fact that you were the only one who could protect them, and you didn't."

Osmium breaks the heavy silence by not so surreptitiously snorting some manner of drugs up his nose.

"Hey, Osmium?" Weston asks in a friendly manner. "You got any more of those drugs?"

"…You want to buy some?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, I have these…" Osmium uncertainly hands his stash to Weston for approval.

"Fantastic. Yes, these are perfect." Taking the drugs in his hands, Weston disappears into the bathroom.

"Hey!" Osmium immediately shouts. "What the hell are you doing?"

"If you want them, they're in the toilet. If you drink all the water, I'm sure you can still get high."

Osmium is silent as he stares at Weston with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"No?" Weston asks. "Not interested? All right." With a flick of his hand, he flushes the toilet.

"NO!" Osmium screams.

Weston returns from the bathroom, brushes any remaining powder from his hands, and takes his seat once more.

"I needed those more than anything else in the world," Osmium whimpers pathetically.

"Nah." Weston waves his hand dismissively in the air. "If you really wanted them that badly, you would have lapped up that water like I told you to."

"Why would you do that?" Osmium's voice is a whining whisper.

"Because I don't like you," Weston tells him simply.

**Luke Eve, District 12 Mentor**

My tributes stare at me from across the table. If I'm going to do this, I have to do it now.

I have to kill Pawl.

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you enter the arena?" I ask.

"Run away and hide," Pawl whispers.

"No. Run _toward_ the fighting."

"But…"

"Wherever the fighting is, that's where the supplies are. And you can't survive without supplies, right?"

"I guess not…"

"Exactly. Do what I say, Pawl. I know what I'm talking about."

"Luke," Laciel says through gritted teeth. "May I speak to you in private for a moment?"

She grabs my arm and drags me outside the meeting room.

"What are you doing?" she demands.

"Saving your life," I retort.

"Don't do this."

"You don't want to win?"

"I want to win. But not this way."

"This is the _only_ way!"

"I don't want to win because we tricked a little boy into getting himself slaughtered, Luke."

"Anyone else would be grateful for help, Laciel."

"Not Daryl. Daryl wasn't willing to win this way, either."

"Oh, yeah?" I ask quietly, angrily. "Maybe Daryl would still be here if he had."

She slaps me across the face; shame is five-fingered.

"How dare you?" she hisses.

Before I can answer she goes to talk to Pawl, slamming the door behind her.

**Alise, 14**

I know who I'll kill first.

Katerina is clearly the Career leader. Without her, the Careers will be like a chicken without a head. She must die as soon as we enter the arena.

Then I will take out Avenaye. He's far too slippery for my liking, and he seems the second most competent Career. If I can eliminate Katerina _and_ Avenaye, then the Careers will be nonexistent this year.

I am the silent assassin creeping through the mist; you know I am coming, and yet there is still nothing you can do to prevent your swift journey to the underworld.

I breathe deeply as the training scores are announced.

Iskandar – 1. No surprise there; I assume the lazy idiot simply refused to do anything. Or perhaps he was too lazy to even show up.

Tammy – 7. I grudgingly read the score with no idea how she managed it. I've never seen her do anything other than observe everything.

Duval – 6. Humph. I doubt he'll make it five minutes.

Katerina – 9. This only proves my point that she's top dog and must die swiftly.

Remi – 8. I stare uneasily at the number my district partner managed to score. My heart thumps as I await my own.

4. Perfect. Exactly what I was aiming for. Not weak enough to be considered easy pickings; not strong enough to be taken as a threat. I want to be forgotten. It'll be all the more surprising when I cut someone's head off.

Avenaye – 2. I chuckle; he's dead meat.

Virdiana – 4. I snarl at the score – how dare she steal my number?

Jango – 0. At the sight of the big, empty number, I can't stop my laughter.

Madelyn – 3. Obviously nothing to worry about.

Osmium – 1. If he doesn't kill himself with drugs before I even get a chance, then I'd love to trap him in my web and play around with his pathetic mind before I end him.

Elisa – 5. So far, I've seen nothing to worry about in her.

Daniel – 7. I saw the way he looked at Katerina. If she can manage to seduce him, then so can I.

Aibileen – 2. No wonder. Nothing she could show the Gamemakers could possibly override the fact that she can't utter a word.

Niels – 8. Troubling.

Desdemona – 2. Silly little girl.

June – 6. He's going to lose it in the arena. I see no reason to concern myself with the lunatic.

Haley – 3. Weakling.

Dara – 1. I've seen that tiny boy; not a mean bone in his body.

Dolly – 10. Dolly certainly a concern. I narrow my eyes at her score; how could she possibly earn the highest of everyone?

Bidzill – 9. Together, he and Daniel could pose a possible threat. I make myself a mental note to avoid them until at least one has been annihilated.

Harper – 4. Pathetic.

Pawl – 1. Cannon fodder.

Laciel - 7. Sister of last year's Victor. I know enough to keep an eye on her.

**Weston Shepp, District 6 Mentor**

I don't hear Monk anymore. She found her way home, and I'm glad for her. But there are so many others that are still lost, still wandering this earth in their ghostly forms, trapped between before and after.

They come to me, and I guide them home. And yet, as I help these ghosts find their way, I realize that so many of the living around me are also lost, with no way home. Abe, for example, trapped in a world she doesn't quite understand, angry at herself for not belonging, and taking it out on everyone else. Or Osmium, sifting between drugs and sleep because to live in the real world is just too much. And who can forget Jango, reaching for Madelyn because all he knows for certain in this world is that she is good?

I promised Monk that I would take the dead by the hand and show them the way. And now I promise myself that I will do the same with the living.

**Remi, 17**

My first choice for an ally was stoic, smart, calm Bidzill, but I saw him sitting with Desdemona, Abe, and Daniel. And Abe is someone I've decided to avoid, because I don't want an ally with a temper like hers. I briefly considered Jango, simply because he was so pathetic and a lifetime of taking care of my little sister Alice has created in me an inclination to nurture the needy. But I banished that idea quickly; Jango is a little _too_ much of a loser, and anyone he gets near is bound to die.

I finally decided that an alliance just wasn't going to work out for me. I repeat this to myself as I practice tying ropes at the knot station; before long, a young girl joins me.

"Hi," she says shyly. "I've been watching you. You're smart, and you're good with weapons, but you have no allies."

I look up at the girl in surprise. How does she know all that?"

"I'm not strong," she continues. "But I know about medicine. And I bet you can't even apply a bandage. We'd make a good team."

"…Who are you?" I ask in astonishment.

"Haley."

"Well, then, Haley… I guess that makes us allies."

**Daniel, 17**

The final day of training was depressing. We're almost in the arena, and I still have no allies.

Abe hasn't so much as glanced my way since breakfast on the first day. I don't know what she's so furious about, but it's quite obvious to me that no one wants to be her ally. She's aggressive and mean-spirited, plus she can't speak. The other tributes aren't exactly tripping over themselves to get to her.

After dinner, I wander over to Abe's room, which is next to mine. From what I saw during training, she has no skills or talents and absolutely no friends, and I'm sure that if I don't come talk to her now she'll die first thing she sets foot in the arena. So I'll do her a favor and offer to let her in my alliance, which so far includes Bidzill and I. The two of us are strong and capable, and if Abe wants to live a little longer, then I'll do her the favor of letting her follow us for a bit.

"Abe?" I call, knocking on the door. There's no answer, so I open it and walk in. I can hear the shower running in the bathroom, and I'm excited at the prospect of exploring her room in secret.

Opening the dresser drawers, I find them empty. I glance at the perfectly made bed and I wonder why she would bother doing that when the Avoxes would have gotten to it later. Probably to save her friends the trouble; I snort at the way she communicated with them in sign language. What a waste. Not like they have anything to say.

The only thing in the entire room with any personality is in the closet. When I fling the doors open, I find a silk bathrobe hanging in the darkness. But it's not an ordinary bathrobe. I frown as I stare at the intimidating black and red design.

It's a boxing robe.

I'm reaching for the robe when I hear the bathroom door open. I spin around to find Abe standing before me in nothing but a towel.

Seconds tick by as I stare at her bare feet, the short hair brushing her shoulders, her reddening face. Desperately, I search my mind for something to say to mend the situation, but the English language seems to escape me, and I find myself as mute as Abe. My heart races as I try unsuccessfully to speak, and only then do I understand what it's like to be Abe. It is utterly embarrassing to stand here silently without anything to say.

"Abe, I… the door…" I stumble around my words, hoping that somehow she'll understand what I'm getting at. She takes several petrified steps backward before bumping into the wall; her mouth remains slightly open in shock and embarrassment as she disappears once more into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Damn it," I hiss to the room. But despite the embarrassing, awkward feelings that accompanied the scene, I can't help but feel that, for the first time, I witnessed an Abe that wasn't destroying herself from the inside out with anger. And I want to see that girl again.

Before I leave the room, I notice something on the bedside table: red boxing tape. I recognize it as the tape that boxers wrap around their fists before putting on their gloves. My head spins with the strange items hidden in Abes room – the boxing robe, the boxing tape, the strange, lonely girl in the towel. And before I know what I'm doing, I feel my hands stealing her boxing tape, as if I need proof that the better version of Abe exists.

**Jango, 17**

They grab at me from all angles; it's a war on my beauty.

"What are you doing?" I shout at my prep team.

"You smell like horse shit," a green-haired woman tells me as she starts a bath.

"I may be a little ripe, but I definitely don't smell like-"

"Do you even _own_ shampoo?" a red-haired man scrunches his nose up at my greasy hair.

"_Do I own shampoo?_ Who do I look like, President Snow? What would I do with _shampoo?_"

"_What_ are you wearing? Did you pick these up from a donation box?"

"Well, where do you think I got them? The _mall?_" I scoff at the idea.

"He can't be helped," Orange Hair snaps.

"Put him in the bath," Red Hair commands.

"NO!" I scream.

After the brutal bathing, they sit me down in a chair and threaten me mercilessly with a toothbrush. I scream as Orange Hair sticks her hands in my mouth and begins to brush. Almost immediately, she brings her hand back out, a decaying tooth in her hand.

"What's that?" I ask in alarm. "Is that my tooth?"

"It just fell out!" Orange Hair says in disgust. "I barely even touched it!"

"Which one fell out?" I reach into my mouth to find the missing one and pull my hand out with another tooth. "Oh! That's another one! Are they supposed to come out like that?" I push another tooth gently with my tongue and a third tooth pops out. "Gah!" I hold one tooth in each hand and stare at them. I feel tears leaking out of my eyes. "What's happening?" I scream through the tears.

"Have you ever brushed your teeth before?" Orange Hair screams back.

"NO, I HAVEN'T BRUSHED MY TEETH BEFORE! IS THAT OKAY? IS THAT OKAY?" Now I'm screaming maniacally in her face as I sob. As I lose it, someone shoves a sedative in my arm and I feel my mind drifting off.

I wake up when they're done, when I've been washed and scrubbed and cosmetically tweaked, to discover that I am no longer myself. The protective coat of dirt around my skin that gives me comfort has been forcibly removed. I am in tight, itchy clothing that confines my movement. I miss my beat-up old jacket that hugged me so loosely, my torn jeans that smelled exactly like me. What will Madelyn think?

I nervously sit next to her in my bright orange suit with my slicked-back hair. She stares at me thoughtfully for a moment, as if she can't quite believe that it's true.

"Jango?" she asks in bewilderment.

"I know, I know," I sigh sadly. "I told them not to put me in this stupid-"

"You look… good. Really, really good. And you smell… well… better. It's a step in the right direction, at least."

"_Really_?" My heart threatens to burst right out of my chest. "Well, I guess now that I've… cleaned up a bit… we can finally get married, right?"

"What? No, Jango, we're not… Forget I said anything." She sighs in annoyance and returns her attention to a thick book.

"What? No. Why? I don't understand! Was it something I said?"

**Niels, 15**

Finally, training is over. I sit in a posh room behind the stage as the interviews begin. As Iskandar leaves the room I decide to take this opportunity, which will surely be the last time all twenty-four tributes sit in a close room together, to analyze the competition.

The first thing I notice is Jango, sitting so close to Madelyn that he's practically in her lap. Every time she moves over on the couch, he moves with her, as if some invisible force tethers them to each other. The second thing I notice is that Jango reeks; I can smell him all the way across the room. And yet, it's still an improvement compared to what he smelled like this morning.

It's Tammy that intrigues me, however. The way she smirks at the rest of us, even as she's about to be called onstage for her interview, is downright unsettling. Then there's Daniel and Bidzill, both in classy tuxedos that compliment their figures, murmuring amongst themselves and watching the mute girl. The mute girl, for her part, refused to play into the slut show – she's dressed in black sweatpants and a black shirt under an alarmingly red boxing robe. Her hands are strangely bare, and it throws off the entire effect of the costume.

Dara is the worst, however. And by worst I mean the tribute I'm going to lose the most sponsors to. That little kid is dressed up in an adorable sailor suit, complete with a cute, smiling duck stitched onto the lapel. How dare he?

As far as I can tell, Iskandar's interview goes as well as he could expect it to. I watch the screen from a comfortable red armchair as he goes onstage and makes a mockery of us all.

"So, Iskandar," the interviewer begins in a jovial voice. "Are you excited for the Games?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, do you have any food around here?"

"Um… No, I don't have any food with me."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"…Is that going to be a problem? Do you need food _now_?"

"No, that's okay. I'll just starve to death. No big deal."

"…All right, then. What do you think of this year's tributes?"

"Do you think we could speed this up? I'm getting really bored over here."

"You know what? I think we're good. You can go now."

I smirk; Iskandar has got to be the first tribute ever to be kicked out of an interview.

**Bidzill, 17**

I watch as Tammy makes herself seem cunning and sly during her interview. She's definitely a Career, through and through.

Abe brushes past me on her way out the door, presumably to the bathroom, perhaps to throw up or cry. I've seen Osmium go in there seven times already, each time coming out more energetic than the last. The little girl, Haley, she's been in there twice and I know for a fact that she's been bawling her eyes out because both times she came back with puffy, red eyes. But as Abe passes by, Daniel grabs her wrist.

"Abe," he says quietly, and something unspoken passes between their eyes. I wonder what happened between them; for the first day or so they seemed inseparable, and now they can barely look at each other. "I, um… I took this from your room when… I mean, after…"

Daniel hands Abe a roll of red boxing tape, which I realize is the missing piece of her outfit. Her hands looked odd and naked without it. Abe takes the tape but for the first time since I've met her she doesn't get angry – instead, her face flushes wildly in embarrassment. She quickly turns away, eyes wide, and takes off for the bathroom.

"What was that about?" I ask Daniel curiously.

"She, um… I was… in her room, and… I didn't mean to take it, I just…"

"You were in her room?"

"Briefly…"

"And you stole the tape?"

"I didn't… it wasn't _stealing_, I just…"

"That's dishonorable."

"I was… I was _flustered,_ Bidzill."

"You were _flustered?_"

"She wasn't wearing any clothes!"

"She wasn't… what?"

"No, she had on a towel, but… She didn't know I was in the room."

"You snuck into her room?"

"No… Yes… I don't know, maybe!"

"That sounds very dishonest."

"I think it's more of a gray area… I mean, it's not like I _wanted_ to walk in on her nearly naked."

"But you didn't mind."

"What? I… I mean…"

His hesitation proves my statement: he enjoyed it. What a disgusting invasion of privacy. I shake my head in disapproval and turn to the screen to see Duval chatting with the interviewer. He has a strange look upon his face as he answers mundane questions; suddenly, he jumps up, flies across the coffee table and stabs the interviewer repeatedly.

The entire audience gasps and I hear several hundred women screaming. The peacekeepers grab Duval immediately and drag him off stage where someone sticks a needle into his arm and his body goes limp. Everything is crazy until the interviewer slowly stands up, bravely showing everyone the weapon he was just attacked with: a plastic spork.

I survey the room to see how the other tributes are taking this newest event. Katerina rolls her eyes at Duval's stupidity; Madelyn sits with a hand covering her gaping mouth; Dara has a strange smile upon his face; Abe is shaking with silent laughter.

Poking Daniel, I point to Abe. I have never witnessed her so much as smile, and now she's laughing so hard she's clutching her stomach and tears are leaking out of her eyes. The very sight makes Daniel laugh and I can't help but join him. As we settle down, the District three's prepare to go onstage.

"Hey, Bidz!" Duval says jovially, clapping me on the back as he sits next to me.

"My name is Bidzill," I correct."

"Uh-huh. So, what do you think of the talent this year?"

"The talent?"

"Yeah. Who would you do?"

It takes me a moment to realize that he's referring to the female tributes before us; my mouth twists in disgust. "That's disrespectful."

"Lighten up, buddy."

"I'll lighten up when you start behaving like a gentleman."

Duval blinks at me several times before deciding that I clearly am not going to be much fun to berate females with and jumping up in search of a new wingman.

The interviews go smoothly once more until Jango gets up onstage. He sits directly across from the interviewer and nervously takes a deep breath. The interviewer immediately snaps his head back and covers his mouth and nose.

"What's that smell?" he asks in horror.

"Oh, does my breath smell?" Jango asks apologetically.

"What did you _eat_?"

"I… I had a lot of onions, actually."

"How many?"

"Like, a lot."

"_Why?_"

"I was… I was a little nervous."

"…So you ate _onions?_"

"I probably… probably should have… not eaten so many of them…"

"Wow. Okay. And… is that sweat?"

The cameras zoom in on Jango's shirt, which is soaked through in multiple places. An extended _'eww'_ passes through the audience and I can't help but feel a little sorry for Jango.

"Why are you sweating so much?" the interviewer asks in pure bewilderment.

"It's um… it's really hot in here."

"No, it's not. It's freezing."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? They're really blasting that air conditioning, aren't they?"

The audience is thoroughly grossed out by the time the interview ends, and most of the tributes lower their eyes uncomfortably as Jango reenters the room. He looks unbelievably sad, as though he's finally realized just how much of a loser he really is. Jango slowly approaches Madelyn, who stands up and stares at him pitifully.

"Jango," she says quietly, nervous that someone else might hear. "Don't listen to what they're all saying. You look nice."

That immediately fixes the entire situation in Jango's eyes. His entire face lights up in pure joy.

"I feel like we should hug," he says happily. "This would be the perfect moment for a hug."

"…Alright," Madelyn relents, albeit reluctantly. "Just a quick one, though. Really quick."

They hug for a moment, but Jango refuses to let her go. After about thirty seconds of this, Madelyn becomes justifiably upset.

"Okay, Jango. That was good. Good hug. You can let me go now."

"But it feels right, doesn't it?" Jango protests, his arms still wrapped around her. "It feels right, Madelyn."

"Jango, let me go. Get off of me!" Madelyn pushes him away roughly and retreats to an empty chair far away from Jango. He simply stands there, smiling happily to himself, thrilled at the way his night turned out.

I don't pay attention to the rest of the interviews until Daniel goes on, but his interview goes completely fine, and I'm sure he's just scored himself some sponsors. Then it's Abe's turn, and everyone's eyes become glued to the screen. We all want to know: how will she do her interview if she can't speak?

"Welcome, Aibileen!" the interviewer says jovially, a sinister smile on his face. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Abe smiles at the interviewer and waves her hands in front of her face as she tells him something in sign language.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch that," the interviewer says, smiling at the audience as if Abe is being an idiot. Everyone laughs, and Abe's smile disappears. She repeats her hand motions. "You're gonna have to speak up, I didn't hear you." Another round of laughter and Abe's frown deepens. "I wasn't aware that we were playing charades!"

The taunting continues every time Abe tries to write something down or communicate through gestures. Finally, after about ten minutes of this, Abe finds a universal gesture that everyone watching understands: she flips off the announcer. A gasp passes over the audience as Abe storms off the stage.

**Daniel, 17**

Bidzill shoves me toward Abe as she comes storming through the room once more. He mutters something about 'doing the honorable thing' as I reluctantly follow Abe into the girl's bathroom.

"Abe," I sigh. She spins around in alarm, immediately raising her red-tape-covered fists.

I put my own hands over her fists and force them down. She stares at me and I do my best to stare right back into the stormy seas of her eyes.

"You want to talk about it?" I ask tiredly.

She turns away from me angrily for a moment, and when she turns back there's a determined look in her eyes. Her hands fly in front of her and I do my best to keep up.

"He wouldn't listen to you?" I ask slowly.

Her eyes widen; I've cracked her mysterious language.

"I read the sign language book," I tell her quietly. "I've been studying it."

Tears build in her eyes and she tries to talk to me. _He wouldn't listen to me_, she repeats with her hands.

"But _I_ listened," I whisper.

Her face crumples, and I understand that this is the first conversation she's ever had with anyone besides the Avoxes. The tears drip down her cheeks and I pull her close to me. The silk of her boxing robe tingles under my hands; she silently cries into my chest as I hold her.

"I listened," I whisper again.

**Laciel, 18**

I am the final tribute to be interviewed. As soon as I step onto the stage, a roaring applause begins; I am the Victor's sister. I am Laciel Eve.

"You're Lucky Luke's sister," the interviewer says jovially, as if I don't already know.

"That's correct," I say.

"Should we expect you to be this year's Victor?"

"Well, that depends entirely on how much money you give me."

The audience laughs.

"What's it like to have your brother for a mentor? That must be tough for you two."

"There's no one in the world I trust more to keep me alive."

"Since you're brother is Lucky Luke, I suppose that makes you Lucky Laciel."

"Just Laciel," I correct.

"You're not lucky?"

"I don't believe in luck."

"What do you believe in?"

"I believe in my brother. And I believe in me."


	4. Welcome to the Circus

**Remi, 17**

It is a funny thing to be afraid of, a train. And yet the very sound of the great locomotive inspires fear in our hearts.

It came in the middle of the day to speed me far from home. In Panem, an omen of death does not take the form of a dog: it is a marvelous train, headed for parts unknown. The train steals your friends, your family, and takes them on a one-way journey. No round tickets, no returns.

As my tube ascends at an agonizing pace, I think of my sister, Alice. I think of how many people the train hurts; how many lives it runs over, like meaningless pennies on the track.

My heartbeat echoes with every number in the countdown. As my time left on this earth is announced to the world, I stare at the strange world I've entered from underground. We are in a circus tent. Each tribute begins at the top of the stands, and in the center of the ring is the Cornucopia.

The buzzer sounds.

**Bidzill, 17**

I know enough to realize that if I run from the Cornucopia, I will not survive. This is what drives me to jump over the bench in front of me and head for the center ring. My heart thuds as I see tributes running down the aisles, jumping over benches, or making mad darts for the two exits.

On my way down, I'm passed by my District partner Harper. She poses no threat to me, and it would be dishonorable to kill her without provocation and while she stands before me, an unarmed girl of only fourteen, so I let her pass. But June is not feeling so generous.

He grabs one of the smaller metal benches, lifts it above his head, and smashes it into Harper's fragile temple. She crumples without a sound, and June smacks her another two times with the bench, just to be sure he's gotten the job done. Then he stares down at her body and the blood on his hands and falls to his knees.

"No!" he cries. "Why did you tell me to kill her? I should have listened to the other one… No, you're wrong! Leave me alone!"

He begins arguing with whatever voices he seems to be hearing, and his inability to rise from his knees prompts me to turn around and place my large hands on his skinny neck. With a simple twist, I cause an awful crack. I drop the boy to the ground, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle; I wish his death could have been avoided, I really do. But allowing him to live would have come back to bite me in the butt eventually. Having a schizophrenic murderer running around the arena would have been good for no one. And the fact that he killed Harper for no reason other than convenience further justifies his death.

Fearing the other tributes have beaten me to the Cornucopia in the time I've wasted in the stands, I resume my hasty descent.

**Madelyn, 17**

I reach the center ring with seconds to spare; suddenly, I'm torn between running for the exit and risking my life at the Cornucopia. No one seems to have noticed me, though, so I dart forward and feast my eyes on more goodies than I could have ever imagined.

Knives. Knives, knives, knives. My eyes dart over the weapons, desperately searching for the only weapon I know how to use. Something glints at the bottom of the pile, and I dive for it, cutting my palm on a sharp arrow as I do so. I manage to pull the knife kit out and clutch it in my hands protectively; as I stand up, however, Tammy comes at me with a scythe. I scream in what I know must be my final moments and prepare for the blade to cut through my delicate skin.

And then Jango is on Tammy's back, digging his fingers into her eyes. Tammy and I both scream as the blood pours down her face; I roll out of the way and run from the tent without so much as looking back.

**Laciel, 18**

Jango jumps from Tammy's back and shoves her forward, directly onto the pile of weapons; it would be impossible to determine exactly which one was most directly responsible for her death. Without a moment's hesitation, Jango snatches a backpack and darts after Madelyn.

I briefly considering joining their alliance, simply because I can think of no one else, but quickly push the idea out of my mind. Madelyn is nice, but petrified of the simple act of speaking – I can't even begin to imagine how she'd react to killing. And Jango… well, I don't think I need to explain why he's not exactly my first choice for an ally.

Katerina has a remarkably sharp knife in her hand and is greedily defending the Cornucopia with it. I'm about to turn and run when Elisa reaches for a weapon and Katerina goes after her, completely ignoring me. As Elisa is torn to bits, I manage to snatch a hatchet, though I vaguely wonder how this is going to do me any good; I had been hoping for a knife. But beggars can't be choosers, and Katerina has finished Elisa and is feasting her eyes on me. With no time to grab anything else, I run for the first exit I see.

I flinch as a knife misses my arm by mere centimeters; spinning around, I face the culprit. Duval. Before either of us can react, however, a sword suddenly appears in his stomach. I gasp as I realize Niels has shoved the weapon all the way through Duval's body so that the sword enters through Duval's back and protrudes through his stomach. Leaving the sword in Duval, Niels chases after me.

I imagine Luke holding his breath as he watches me run from Niels. With the feeling that Niels is right behind me, I race out of the tent; what I see before me is some sort of dilapidated carnival. I gasp in amazement, immediately taking off for the closest ride: the carousel. Slipping under a painted horse, I pop my head up on the other side and find myself face-to-face with Niels, the two of us separated only by the plastic beast. My hatchet glints menacingly in the sunlight; Niels is unarmed.

"Allies?" he asks with a lopsided smile.

"_What?_" I ask, taken aback. "Why?"

"You're a Victor's sister. You're brother is your mentor. Don't pretend like that's not an advantage."

"What reason do I have not to kill you right now?"

He shrugs. "You really want to wander around these freaky arena alone? With no one to watch your back?"

"…Alright," I sigh. "But I'm keeping hatchet."

"Suit yourself, princess."

"My name is Laciel."

"Whatever floats your boat."

"I like you, Niels. I think we're going to make a pretty good team."

"What about them?" Niels points to the floor. I turn to look where his finger is pointed, and find Madelyn and Jango crouched beneath two of the painted ponies.

"Please!" Madelyn cries. "Please don't hurt us!"

"It's okay, I'll protect you!" Jango declares bravely.

Madelyn looks at him with absolutely no faith in her eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you," I tell them.

"You're not even going to consult me?" Niels asks.

"No, I'm not. Do you two want to be in our alliance?"

Madelyn nods gratefully, but Jango stands and stares Niels down as if they're two gorillas fighting for the same female.

"Stay away from my girlfriend," Jango hisses.

"Jango!" Madelyn snaps. "I'm not your girlfriend!"

"She's all yours, buddy," Niels says, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I'm not, though," Madelyn tells Niels shyly. "Not his girlfriend. Not… not at all."

"She is, though," Jango corrects. "She is."

"We can't stay here," I interrupt. "Where's a good hiding place?"

Niels silently points to a large tent opposite the carousel. "Let's try there."

**Dolly, 16**

I got the highest score. The others are wary of me. The Careers have it out for me. But I am not scared.

I am bigger than all of them.

Still, I refuse to take my chances at the Cornucopia, preferring to run instead. I crash through the closest exit and find myself in some kind of fairgrounds. Deciding that the best thing I could do right now is to put distance between myself and the others, I run through the park, taking note of any attractions I pass on the way. I stop when I reach the arcade, which is dark and huge. I creep under the tent, which has no sides, only a thin roof, and proceed slowly through the maze of gaming systems.

_Bleep._

I freeze.

_Get ready to DANCE 'till you DROP!_

A machine in the corner bursts to life with a cheesy musical melody and flashing lights. Before I can react, another machine blares music at me from the opposite corner.

I am not alone.

"Who's there?" I call. They know where I am; no sense in hiding. "Where are you? Show your face!"

"Will you hurt me?" a girlish voice asks through the speakers.

"…No," I say slowly, not entirely sure what I'll do yet. "Come out, please. We can help each other. You're scaring me."

"I apologize," Desdemona says, darting out from behind a dance system. "I thought you were trying to kill me."

"Desdemona," I sigh in relief. "I thought you were trying to kill _me._"

"Agreed, then? Neither one of us is going to kill the other?"

"Agreed. You know how to work this place?"

"The controls are in the back. I just pushed a bunch of buttons when you walked in."

"Well, it worked. We should camp here."

"Mommy!" a small voice cries from somewhere nearby. "Mommy, I'm scared!"

Desdemona, far too nice for these Games, immediately runs to the voice. "Dara?"

"Pwease don't hurt me!" he begs pathetically.

"Be in our alliance," Desdemona offers. "We can all help each other."

Dara nods, wiping his tears. He stands up and smiles, and I'm overcome by the feeling that he managed to stop crying remarkably quickly.

It's almost as if he was faking.

Shaking my head, I scold myself for the ridiculous idea. He's only twelve; it's not as though he's some kind of evil mastermind. After all, he showed up to the interviews in a sailor suit.

He's harmless.

**Remi, 17**

Haley screams as bodies begin to fall all around the Cornucopia.

I can't help it. She reminds me too much of Alice.

I pick the twelve-year-old up and carry her out of the circus tent.

"Remi!" she cries.

"Haley, it's okay!" Once we're safely away from the other tributes, I gently put her on the ground. "The other tributes aren't going to hurt you, I promise. But we have to find a place to hide, and fast."

She sniffs, wiping the tears from her face. "Okay."

"Do you hear that?" I ask, turning my head to the right.

"What?"

"Water."

**Daniel, 17**

The moment the buzzer sounded, all I could think of was running away.

So I did.

I wait outside the tent for Bidzill. When he finally comes out, there's blood on his shirt and two axes in his hand. He gives one to me and races down the fairground. I'm tempted to wait for Abe, but follow him anyway. In all probability, she's dead. And even if she wasn't, she's certainly not going to make a good ally. We're better off without her no matter what way you spin it.

"Where are we going?" I shout after Bidzill.

"I don't know!" he shouts back, still running.

"Wait!" I pause in front of a large cardboard sign advertising a log ride. "Let's check this out."

Bidzill follows me up a long path that curves upward. From the top of the ride, we can see half of the amusement park.

"This is brilliant," Bidzill murmurs.

"I know, right?" someone asks.

"Shit!" Bidzill and I jump, turning our axes on the intruder.

"Hey, I was here first!" Osmium complains. "I didn't threaten you two! Impolite, that's what that is."

"Osmium?" I ask shakily.

"Hey, listen, buddy. You wouldn't happen to have grabbed any medicine from the Cornucopia, would you?"

"No, we don't have any drugs!" Bidzill says angrily. "I say we kill him, Daniel."

"I know, but…" I hesitate. "He's another set of eyes. I feel like we should just… wait and see. And he's right, he _was_ here first, and he didn't threaten _us_."

"Are you kidding me?"

"It wouldn't feel right, killing him just because we don't like him."

"…Alright. But if he kills us in the middle of the night, it's on your hands."

"As it should be."

"Hey, where's that deaf girl you're always hanging around with?" Osmium asks as he picks his nails.

"She's not deaf," I tell him. "She's mute. And I don't know where she is, Osmium."

"You mean you left without her? That's cold. She's gonna die without you."

"She's not my problem," I snap, angry that he could blame me for her death.

"That's cold. I hope she's not hanging around waiting for you. 'Cause she pissed off quite a few people, and I'm sure they'd love to get their hands on her."

"Shut up, Osmium. Don't make me regret letting you live."

"Someone's touchy… Hey, Bidzill, is it his time of the month, or what?" Osmium laughs at his own joke.

"Shut up, Osmium," Bidzill mutters.

**Abe, 16**

I race to the Cornucopia without thinking. Thinking gets you killed. Avenaye reaches for me with a knife in his hand; I duck, and pound him in the stomach. He groans as I run around him and snatch the first backpack I see; a bright red one to match my token - the boxing tape around my hands. I slip it onto my back and grab a second backpack with my hands, a light green one, right before a knife comes soaring at my legs. I jump, narrowly avoiding the blade, and race for the closest exit.

Bidzill and Daniel are far ahead of me, and my heart soars. Allies. I charge after them, but they're too far ahead and too fast. _Wait,_ I try to shout. _Bidzill! Daniel! _The words refuse to leave my throat, and I'm left standing in dirt all alone.

They disappear far ahead of me. What now? I spin around, desperately trying to find someone else to ally with.

"Looking for me?" Avenaye asks from behind me, repeatedly tossing a knife and catching it in his hand.

Don't cut yourself, big boy, I want to tell him. Instead, I plant my feet squarely in the ground and look him directly in the eye, a challenge.

"If you want a kiss, all you have to do is ask. Oh, wait! You can't."

My fists clench and unclench repeatedly in an attempt to contain my anger.

"Sorry. Everyone else was doing it, and I thought it sounded fun. For the record, I thought all those jokes the interviewer was making were way out of line. I think I'm going to have to kill you now, but it's nothing personal. I just don't want the others to think I'm weak, because Katerina will have my head if she finds out you got away." He takes a step toward me. "If you don't struggle, I promise I'll do it quickly. I don't want to make you suffer. It's strictly business, Aibileen. I'm really sorry."

He says it in a polite manner, and I understand that he's not taunting me; he's genuinely trying to kill me in the nicest way possible. This calms me down. I want to tell him that we can make a show of it – I'll let him cut my arm, let him show the other Careers that he's willing to kill for them, and then we can go our separate ways. Everyone wins. But I can't tell him this, so I simply tilt my head and watch him. As I desperately think for a way out, it crosses my mind that Daniel is good at negotiating his way out of situations, and he surely could have gotten me out of this one. I banish this thought, however. He didn't even bother to wait for me.

"Okay, I'm going to come toward you now. If you just let me, I'll cut your neck and end it real quick, Aibileen. Please don't struggle. You don't have a weapon, so you can't win, and it'll only make it more painful for you. Plus, it'll look better for me if I can kill you easily."

He lifts his hand and plunges the knife toward my neck; I sidestep the attack and grab his wrist. With a twist, something cracks and he drops the knife, screaming in agony.

_Sorry_, I tell him in sign language. _You're a very nice boy and I hope you win._

With that, I snatch my green backpack from the ground where I dropped it when attacking Avenaye, who is still clutching his hand in shock and asking what the hell my hand gestures meant. My first instinct is to run in the direction Bidzill and Daniel disappeared, so I follow my gut and dart off.

**Iskandar, 16**

Everyone has either escaped or died. Except for us Careers.

"Who's left?" Katerina demands.

"Tammy's dead. Just me and you, I guess."

"Do I not count?" Avenaye asks from the doorway. He limps toward us.

"What happened to you?"

"Mute girl broke my wrist."

"Why are you limping?"

"What? …Oh." He stands up straight and loses the limp, and I realize he was just doing it for attention.

"Don't be a big baby," Katerina snaps. "Grab some bandages and wrap your wrist. If I hear you complain about it one more time, I'll cut it off for you."

"I'll cut off your _mom's _wrist." Avenaye mumbles the comeback.

"Good one," I tell him sarcastically.

"Your _mom's_ a good one."

"Avenaye?" Katerina asks.

"Yes?"

"Shut up a little."

"Okay."

**Alise, 14**

They kill each other by the Cornucopia, the others. But I have no need for that.

I will get my kills elsewhere.

Running from the circus tent, I pass a ferris wheel, a carousel, and an arcade. Finally, I find the House of Mirrors.

"Perfect," I murmur.

**Dead**

Tamara "Tammy" Harding, District 1

Duval Klavic, District 2

Elisa Maldomi, District 6

June Leonardo, District 9

Harper Cosecha, District 11

**Alliances**

_Careers_

Avenaye Darwin, District 4

Iskandar Samir, District 1

Katerina Draven, District 2

_Alliance One_

Bidzill Farfel, District 11

Daniel Burns, District 7

Osmium Bullion, District 6

_Alliance Two_

Jango Cage, District 5

Madelyn Gregor, District 6

Niels Valence, District 8

Laciel Eve, District 12

_Alliance Three_

Dolly Domaine, District 10

Dara O'Gaur, District 10

Desdemona Moor, District 8

_Alliance Four_

Remi Adlanji, District 3

Haley Jay, District 9

_Alone_

Aibileen "Abe" Jude, District 7

_Alone_

Alise Lune, District 3

_Unknown_

Pawl Temple, District 2

_Unknown_

Virdiana "Vi" Rayne, District 2


	5. Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

I am ill at ease.

Darkness has descended upon the arena, and yet the members of my alliance are sleeping in plastic logs, allowing prime hunting hours to slip by. Osmium's snoring is a loud invitation for anyone to come and attack us. Daniel's far too tired to do anything and his constant optimism is beginning to grate on my nerves. Only I remain awake; a silent warrior watching over a dark, eerie battlefield.

And then I hear it: footsteps on the metal platform. They are slow, unsure, and getting closer. Wrapping my fingers around my axe, I silently rise to my feet, prepared to sink the thick blade into the intruder's skull.

"What's going on?" Daniel mumbles, climbing onto the platform next to me and yawning.

The footsteps immediately cease.

I raise a finger to my mouth to silence Daniel.

"What are you doing?" he asks in confusion, squinting his eyes to see me in the dark.

"Who's there?" I ask the darkness. Daniel has given us away, there's no disputing that; the least I can do is intimidate our stalker.

Silence. Then a loud _clang_ echoes toward us.

"If you come any closer, we'll kill you," I warn nervously.

Another _clang._

"Are they trying to scare us?" Daniel asks in a whisper.

"I don't know."

"Who are you?"

_Clang._

"He's obviously not interested in an alliance," I mutter. "I'm gonna go find out who he is."

"Be careful."

"Watch my back, pretty boy."

I move swiftly and silently across the metal platform and inch down the staircase. As I round the corner, I hear a soft footfall above me.

Whoever it was, they snuck past me.

And if I didn't realize it, then Daniel certainly won't.

I inch up the steps again, afraid of letting the intruder know that I'm after him and forcing him to take Daniel as a hostage, or some other drastic measure. Above me, I hear a thud, followed by a moan. Daniel's down. They got him. Ditching the sneak attack, I pound up the metal steps and desperately scan the metal platform before me.

Osmium is asleep in the first plastic log on the ride. Daniel is slumped over in the second log, seemingly unconscious. And the intruder is nowhere in sight. As I step forward to help Daniel, a loud mechanical clanking ensues and the ride roars to life.

"Shit!" I mutter, backing away from the logs as the water carries them away. As I watch, Osmium disappears down the slide, Daniel right behind him. "Where are you?" I shout, my voice echoing off the metal around me. "Quit hiding! Come out and fight me, you coward!"

Footsteps pound across the metal, coming directly toward me.

"Move any closer and I'll chop your head off!" I shout angrily, petrified of being stabbed, or worse. The footsteps stop immediately. "Tell me who you are!"

The clanging begins again, this time fast and desperate.

"Stop it!" I yell before rushing at the enemy. I feel my body collide with someone else's and we both go toppling into the water.

My axe slips down the slide ahead of us and I grunt as we're propelled into a dark tunnel. I try to stop myself from sliding, but the current is too powerful and the slide too steep. My enemy slams into me and I grab at his clothes.

"Who are you?" I scream into the pitch-black tunnel.

As quickly as I've said it, we burst out of the tunnel and into the soft moonlight. I barely have enough time to glance at the intruder before a bucket of water is dropped on our heads and I lose sight of him.

**Osmium, 16**

There I was, sleeping in my plastic log, minding my own business, when all of a sudden I started to move.

Before I knew it I was propelling down a dark tunnel, and before long I ended up down here, at the bottom of the log ride, completely drenched.

"What the hell is going on?" I scream angrily at my plastic log as I climb ungracefully out of it. Before I can climb out of the small pool at the bottom of the log ride, another log comes soaring by and splashes me all over again. "Hey!" I screech, wiping water from my eyes and spitting it from my mouth.

"Bidzill?" Daniel slurs from his own plastic log.

"Danny!" I shout happily as I wrangle his limp body from the clutches of the deadly ride.

"Osmium? Where's Bidzill?"

"He might be dead. I'm a little fuzzy on the whole situation right now. But that's okay, because now you and I can be the gruesome twosome!"

"What? Where are you?"

"You look like you bumped your head, buddy."

"Someone… someone hit me."

"Maybe it was Bidzill. Maybe he's in cahoots with the Careers."

"Osmium, where are we?"

"Don't really know. Hey, do you have any medicine?"

"Osmium, focus!"

I'm about to defend myself when a slashing noise interrupts me; Daniel and I both turn to see two bodies fly out of the ride and slide into the mud.

"That's the one who knocked me out!" Daniel tells me, pointing to the closest figure.

"That's Bidzill!" I shout happily, running to my ally. "Bidzill, do you have any medicine?"

"Get away, Osmium!" Bidzill shouts, shoving me aside as he slips in the mud in his attempt to reach the other muddy tribute. "Get him, Daniel!"

Daniel lifts the intruder out of the mud and shoves him against the cement wall outside the ride, crushing the tribute's neck angrily.

"Who are you?" Bidzill shouts, snatching his axe out of the water and moving toward the tribute. Suddenly, the tribute's leg snaps out and kicks Daniel in the stomach; he bends over and the tribute slams their hand painfully into his neck. Daniel goes down, but Bidzill tackles the tribute as he attempts to run away.

"I'm gonna kill you, you little-"

Before he can finish his sentence, the tribute punches him in the face. Bidzill flies backward, blood pouring from his nose.

"Osmium!" Daniel shouts as the tribute runs by me. "Get him!"

"No can do," I say simply. "I didn't have my medicine today."

"Get that bastard!" Bidzill shouts angrily from the ground, his hands tenderly touching his damaged face.

Daniel takes off across the mud and quickly catches up to the battered intruder; without so much as a word, Daniel slams his fist into their back and the intruder goes flying forward, hitting the ground roughly. He rolls over onto his back but is stopped from getting away by Daniel sitting on top of him and slugging him across the face.

"Are you done running?" Daniel shouts, breathing heavily.

The intruder slowly raises his hand in a pleading 'stop' gesture.

"Who are you?" Daniel asks angrily, turning the intruder's head to the left, where it's suddenly bathed in moonlight. "Oh, shit!"

Daniel immediately scrambles off the tribute.

"Abe?" he asks in disbelief. Suddenly, he's angry again. "Why didn't you just show us who you were?"

"Bidzill kept saying if she stepped any closer, he'd kill her," I offer in a bored voice. "Hey, Abe, do you have my medicine?"

"Shut it, Osmium," Bidzill snaps, walking up to Abe with an angry gait, blood dripping from his nose. He grabs her arm and yanks her into a standing position. "Your silence almost got you killed tonight."

I vaguely wonder how that's her fault, but decide that now's not the time to be offering my opinion.

"You can't stay here," Bidzill continues. "You can't be in our alliance."

"Wait," Daniel says, albeit reluctantly. "Why can't she stay with us?"

"The little shit broke my nose. She knocked you out, and I nearly killed her three times. And that was just a little preview of all the hell she could cause if she stays. She can't talk Daniel – she'll get us killed."

Daniel lifts his hands and makes slow, uncertain gestures toward Abe. When he's finished, she rapidly signals something to him.

"You scared her, Bidzill," Daniel says. "She didn't mean to hurt you."

"…You understand her?" Bidzill asks, a touch of anger still clinging to his voice.

"A little." Bidzill stares at Abe uncertainly, and Daniel sees a window of opportunity. "You saw what she can do. She knocked me out and broke your nose without any weapons. She'll never scream or give away our position, and if anyone threatens her you know she sure as hell isn't going to talk."

"You, what… box?" Bidzill asks Abe. She nods and he considers this. He turns to Daniel. "Fine. She can stay. But I'm not happy about it. Now let's go. We made too much noise, we have to move." He turns around and stalks off down the dark cement. After a moment he spins around and adds one more thing. "And, Daniel, I swear to God. If she punches me again, I'm gonna kill you."

Bidzill turns once more and starts walking; I lag behind the group. My tongue itches and my fingers twitch. I need a hit. And I need it now.

**Madelyn, 17**

Niels is handsome. And cool. And funny, and calm. And nice, and optimistic. When he looks at me, I feel electricity run through my veins – he notices me. He's paying attention to me. Does he think I'm cool? Or weird? Or interesting? Maybe he thinks I'm boring. Or maybe he thinks I'm smart.

"What are you thinking about?"

For the love of peace.

"How hungry I am," I answer, Jango's smell overwhelming me.

"You're hungry? I can get you food!" Jango offers excitedly.

"No, thank you," I mumble. "I'm sure Niels will find us some food."

"Niels? _Niels_? But Niels is just a pretty boy who lives off the fat of the land! He doesn't know a thing about surviving in unhospitable environments!"

"_In_hospitable."

"Madelyn, _I_ know about survival! Why can't _I _get you food?"

"Because you don't wash your hands," I whisper, getting up and walking away from Jango.

We're in the gift shop, and I see Niels over by the t-shirts. Laciel is giving him a fashion show in the ridiculous, frumpy clothing they sell in this shop and Niels is laughing every time she shows off a new outfit. My face heats up as I watch from behind the water bottle display; why are Niels and Laciel hanging out together? Why was I not invited? A horrible thought hits me: what if they think of this alliance as Laciel and Niels working with Madelyn and Jango? Are we two separate alliances working together?

Of course. Just like high school. Laciel and Niels are the cool kids, while Jango and I are the losers. Niels doesn't like me; he's only been putting up with me.

"Hey, Madelyn," Laciel calls, waving me over to join them. "Come and look at these ugly clothes!"

Laciel reminds me of the cheerleaders; all fake happiness, all excited to see you, until you turn away and the whispering begins. _Look at that loser. Does she carry a book with her _everywhere?_ No wonder she doesn't have any friends!_

I shake my head shyly and duck behind the checkout counter. Sitting on the floor, my back against the counter and my knees drawn up to my chest, I take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down and keep from crying. So what if Niels doesn't like you? So what if he likes Laciel better? So what, Madelyn? _So what?_ You're smart. You're nice.

So what if nobody likes you?

"Madelyn?" Jango suddenly appears next to me. I wipe the tears from my face in embarrassment. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I murmur, turning my face away.

"Oh. Well, I found this book in the back, and I thought you would like it. I know you like books, and… well, on the cover there's - there's flowers. And you smell like a flower, and you're pretty like a flower, and… are you crying?"

"No," I insist, taking a shaky breath that turns into an involuntary sob.

"Why are you crying?" Jango asks quietly, concerned. And for one, regrettable second I wonder why. Why is Jango so bad? He called me pretty. He actually cares that I'm crying. What was it that made me so afraid of him before?

"I just… Niels…"

Jango's face pales.

"Did Niels touch you?" he whispers.

"What? No, I – "

"NIELS, YOU BASTARD!" Jango screams, launching himself over the counter and pouncing on the taller boy. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"Jango!" Laciel screams, spinning around in surprise.

"Get away from me!" Niels shouts, throwing Jango off his back and scrambling away from him as fast as he can.

But Jango is like a rabid animal; he knocks over the water bottle display as he hones in on Niels. Poor Niels doesn't have any semblance of a chance against the insanity that is Jango.

I am too embarrassed, too shy, to utter a word.

"Jango, stop!" Laciel shouts authoritatively, grabbing a decorative picture frame off a shelf and smashing it over Jango's head. The glass shatters and he crumples to the floor.

"What the hell!" Niels shouts, visibly shaken by his brush with psychosis.

"Madelyn, what's going on?" Laciel demands.

I'm petrified of speaking in front of Niels and sounding like an idiot; why did Laciel have to ask _me_? Why did she automatically assume _I _have something to do with it? Does she think I'm _friends_ with Jango? Hardly!

I shake my head, staring nervously at the floor. I must look so stupid; what will Niels think?

"You don't _know?_" Laciel snaps. "You have to know. Jango was talking to you and then he flipped out. What did he say?"

I don't know what to tell them. There's nothing I can say without embarrassing myself. Laciel glares at me, determined to get to the bottom of this before Jango awakens, but I simply shrivel under her gaze, my face turning a blazing red.

"You're worse than Abe," Laciel snaps, helping Niels off the floor and turning away without another word. She heads to the back of the gift shop and lies down on a bed made of gift shop t-shirts. Niels looks at me and shrugs before setting himself up for the first watch. He sits with his back against the checkout counter and his eyes gazing steadily at the glass entrance. There are windows all around the shop, and he occasionally flicks his eyes over them, a precaution, but for the most part he's only concerned with the door.

Now is your chance, Madelyn. Go over and talk to him. Don't be so pathetic. You're alone with him, at last.

In my mind's eye, I see the stories I've spent my life living in; Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel. Niels is my prince, that much is obvious. Laciel is the evil queen. And Jango is her evil little hunchback assistant.

And I am the princess.

The queen is the sleep. So then this is the part where the princess enchants the prince, and they fall in love.

"Did he hurt you?" I whisper shyly, standing awkwardly in front of him.

"Huh?" Niels glances at me in surprise, and I realize he'd forgotten I was even there. I am invisible. "Oh. I'm fine. Thanks."

"…I'm sorry. He… he jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"About what?" There's a goofy smile on Niels' face now. I offer a slight, shy smile in return.

"He, um… he just thought… that maybe you had… I mean, he seemed to think you had… that you…" As I struggle to find the right words, it hits me that it's all very silly, this miscommunication. And, sitting down beside him, I decide to tell him. I'm sure he'll laugh. Perhaps he'll be concerned – what happened that Jango thought I had been hurt by a boy? Certainly Niels will be worried about me; surely he'll ask if I'm okay. "He thought you'd hurt me."

"Hurt you?"

"Like, touched me."

Niels' eyes widen in alarm. Suddenly aware of how close we are, he slides an inch or two away from me.

"I would never… I mean, I don't… did you think… did I do something that… made you think…" Niels stutters, and I realize with a sinking heart that he's not at all concerned about my welfare. He only cares about his own image. He doesn't want anyone watching to think badly of him.

"No, I just… I just said… I didn't say… Jango blew everything out of proportion," I desperately try to explain, my voice diminishing to a whisper.

"So you were… you were talking about me?" He doesn't look pleased. His face is a mixture of worry and disgust.

I can't think of an answer. My extended vocabulary fails me, and I simply stare at him with my mouth open. Before I can embarrass myself further, I stand up and hurry off, tears stinging my eyes and shame burning my heart.

**Niels, 15**

Madelyn obviously has a crush on me.

Whatever. It's not the first time a girl has found me attractive. And I'm sure she'll be dead before long, so it's not as though I have anything to worry about in terms of stalking. But in the meantime, it sure makes things awkward.

Especially since I have my sights on Lorelei.

There's an engagement ring on her finger, but I'm sure it's just a family heirloom or something. It's not like she's actually engaged. She's eighteen, for crying out loud. And sure, there's a bit of an age difference, but it's not as though I'm looking to marry her. One of us will be dead within the next few weeks. But I'd still like to feel her arms around me, to hold her, to taste her mouth against mine.

She obviously likes me. She's spent the whole day trying to make me laugh, and she was pissed when Jango jumped me, the crazy little shit.

Maybe she's a cougar. I'm young, cute, energetic, friendly – what more could she want in a younger man? …Or boy?

And if my only competition is Jango, then I think I'm good.

**Desdemona, 13**

I'm staring at the ferris wheel when I hear a rustling on the other side of the arcade tent. Dolly is asleep, as it's quite late, but I haven't seen Dara in a while. I sneak around the side of the tent and see little Pawl's face watching me from the bushes.

Good. Another ally. I'm about to go over and invite him into the arcade when a cold voice freezes me in my tracks.

"You think I don't see you?"

I duck behind the tent flap and watch Dara approach Pawl, a knife glinting in his hand.

"What are you doing in those bushes, you little bastard?"

I frown; that's a bad word.

"Did you think that was a good hiding place? Did you think I wouldn't _find_ you?"

"Please don't hurt me," Pawl whispers desperately.

"I'm going to hurt _very_ much." Dara pulls Pawl into a headlock and stabs him in the gut several times. My ally licks the blood from his knife before slitting little Pawl's throat mercilessly.

_Dios mio._

The cannon sounds and I can't help myself: I gasp.

Dara's head snaps up and his eyes flicker to the edge of the tent where I'm hiding. He can't see me. Impossible. It's too dark. I'm too far away. And yet his eyes linger on my hiding place. Finally, he focuses his attention back on Pawl. He stuffs the body behind the bushes and wipes off his clothes. Then he goes running into the arcade.

"Dolly!" he cries. "Desdemona! Help!"

I run to Dolly's side and wake her up.

"Dolly," I whisper. "Dolly, Dara just – "

"Dara just what?" Dara's cold voice interrupts me.

"Dara just… screamed… for us," I whisper, petrified. Dara's little boy voice immediately returns.

"I'm scared! I heard noises outside! I think someone's here!"

"It's okay, Dara," Dolly soothes. "Don't worry. I'll go check. I'm sure it's nothing."

I want to tell her what I've just witnessed, but I can't do it with Dara watching. Dara and I follow Dolly out of the tent and to the bushes Dara points to. Dolly pulls back the branches and gasps.

"Pawl," she whispers. "He's dead."

"No!" Dara sobs, crocodile tears pouring down his face. "Wake him up, Dolly! Wake him up!"

I want to run as far away from Dara as I possibly can and hide in a small, safe place where he'll never find me. But I don't want to run into the dark night full of murderous children who won't hesitate to take my life. I stay as close to Dolly as I possibly can.

"He's still warm," Dolly says with alarm. "Whoever did this is close."

Closer than you could ever imagine.

"We have to move," Dolly says authoritatively. "Be quiet and follow me."

Dara's eyes shine like a cat's in the moonlight as we run from the bloody body of the little boy he just murdered.

**Katerina, 17**

I'm surrounded by idiots.

Avenaye has the maturity of a four-year-old and Iskandar is so lazy he wouldn't so much as lift a finger if his life depended on it.

"Hey, Princess of the Night," Avenaye calls to me from across the circus tent. "How much longer are you gonna stand outside and watch the wind blow?"

"You're very funny, Avenaye, you know that?" I snap from my post.

"I do know that."

"I'm watching for movement, you imbecile. And if you had half a brain, you'd be doing the same thing."

"I have a life-threatening injury. I probably won't make it through the night."

"You sprained your wrist fighting a girl."

"A very tough girl. And I'm about a hundred and ten percent certain it's broken. Give or take a hundred."

"Can you move it?"

"I'm suffering from indescribable pain, Kat-tastrophe. Where is your sympathy?"

"My name is Katerina!"

"Whatever floats your boat, Katerpillar." I'm suddenly aware that he's beside me. With a soft blow of his breath, a parade of bubbles assaults my face.

"Avenaye! What are you doing?"

"I'm brightening your day. You seem kind of down."

"Where did you get _bubbles?_" In his left hand is a little container of bubbles, and in his right is the small wand with which he's currently blowing the liquid through.

"Why, this is my token, silly."

"_Bubbles_? Bubbles are useless!"

"You've obviously never seen SpongeBob."

"I would kill you right now if it didn't mean being stuck alone with Iskandar."

"Where is Kandy, anyways?"

"You don't hear him snoring? He's sleeping under a bench somewhere in the stands."

"Good old, Kandy. He's such a card."

"You say the strangest things, Avenaye."

"Do forgive me if I say something uncouth. I'm simply intimidated by your presence, Kitty Kat." He blows another strand of bubbles in my face and I bat them away angrily.

"Listen," I snap. "It's the first night. Everyone's confused and scared."

"What are you getting at?"

"Let's go hunting."

**Daniel, 17**

Did I want her to stay? No. She's a liability. Letting her into the alliance is dangerous; she's a wild card at best. But it didn't feel right to send her away because of something she had no control over. It was bullying, and I don't like bullies.

As we walk through the fairgrounds, I steal a glance at Abe. She stalks determinedly across the cement like a lion. The blood red of the boxing tape on her wrists and palms sends a message to all who cross her; don't push Abe. She'll push back.

"Abe," I say quietly once Osmium and Bidzill are out of earshot, quite a ways ahead of us. "Listen. I'm sorry that I… that I snuck into your room. I was just… I wanted to talk to you."

There's a foul look on her face as though she doesn't quite believe me, but she raises her hands nonetheless. _Talk to me about what, _she signs.

"About what happened in the cafeteria. And at the pool. I just… you were mad at me, and I don't know why you were mad, but I wanted to apologize."

_You can't be sorry if you don't know what you're sorry for._

"Then _tell_ me. What did I do?"

_You let them be mean to me. And you didn't care. You liked it. It's fun to make fun of me, isn't it?_

Her face is angry.

"You think just because I hit on Katerina it means I liked it when she picked on you?"

_What else is it supposed to mean?_

"I wanted to get on her good side, Abe. And quite frankly, you messed it up."

_Excuse me for living._

What's wrong with you, Daniel? Flirting is easy with me. Charming girls is my game. But Abe doesn't want to be charmed, or flirted with, and I have no desire to do either with her. Abe wants to be right, needs to be right, so that she can feel in control.

But I don't want to play that game.

"I take back my apology."

She shoots me a scathing look.

"You know what I think, Abe? I think you don't know what to be mad at me about. And _that_ makes you mad."

Abe crinkles her nose in distaste and turns away.

"You don't know how to be anything _but_ mad, is that the problem? You've spent your whole life with this horrible, awful anger inside you, and now you're starting to realize that it's not the world you're mad at, it's _yourself_. And that makes you even madder. So now you're full-out pissed, and you don't know who the hell to take it out on, is that your problem?"

She turns back to me, a hurt look on her face, but I'm on a roll now. All of the anger I've repressed the past couple of weeks, all of my fear and hatred and worry – it rises up inside of me and I need to let it out.

"Because you _do_ have a problem. You know that, right? You're so fucking angry all the time, and that's not normal. And you're always pushing everyone away, but you know what _I_ think? I think you don't get it. You can't talk, Abe. You _can't talk_, you mean, rude, ugly little bitch. Do you not understand that? You need all the help you can get."

She socks me right in the gut. All right, I deserved that. I won't hold it against her. And then she's off, running into the closest attraction.

"Where's she going?" Bidzill asks curiously, not the least bit concerned.

"She pissed," I breathe, clutching my throbbing stomach. Abe knocked the wind right out of me and I can barely breathe in and out, yet I stagger toward her anyway.

"Forget about her," Bidzill instructs calmly. "That girl's trouble. Let's go."

Bidzill. Calm, stoic Bidzill. Bidzill with the rigid moral compass. He's still pissed about the broken nose.

Justifiably, I guess.

"It's my fault," I snap, finally regaining my breath. "I said some shit I shouldn't have. I hurt her feelings pretty bad."

"Abe doesn't have feelings."

I turn and stare at Bidzill. "She's just a human being," I tell him before running into the exhibit behind Abe.

"Abe!" I shout, unsure where I am. Suddenly, a light flickers on and I find myself surround by mirrors.

A shrill giggle alarms me. It seems to echo off the glass, and I have no idea where it's coming from.

"Abe?" I ask. But it can't be Abe. Stupid. She can't talk. Can she? What if she's been faking this whole time? It sounds ridiculous, but is it any more paranoid than thinking that there's another girl hiding in the House of Mirrors?

And then she smiles at me.

"Alise?" I ask in surprise. I reach for her, but my hand collides with a mirror. Just a reflection. Where is she? I spin around and find four more Alise's. For crying out loud…

"Looking for your friend?" Alise cackles. "Turn around."

I turn around and see Abe.

"Abe!" I shout, running toward her. With a loud bang, I slam painfully into a mirror.

Come on, Alise. Why you gotta play me like that?

"Where's Abe?" I ask Alise politely.

"Come closer. It's a secret." She giggles sickly and motions for me to come closer so she can whisper it to me. I move closer and slam into another mirror. My head throbs and I start to feel a little angry.

"Is this some sick game?" I ask Alise. "What the hell's going on?"

"Don't pout, Danny boy. Don't make me hurt you."

She laughs at me from three different mirrors. I spin back and forth, desperately trying to find the source of the reflections. I narrow it down to two reflections, but then Alise moves and everything shifts. Suddenly there's nine of her.

"Stop!" I say angrily. "Let me out!"

"You don't wanna play anymore? Careful, Danny, or you'll hurt my feelings. You'll make me cry, just like you did to Abe."

"She's not crying."

"How would you know? It's not like you could hear her, is it?" Alise laughs and moves again.

She disappears entirely, so that all I can see is myself. Mirror after mirror, I'm faced with my own grimy reflection.

"Let me out!" I shout, finally losing my temper completely. I hold my hands all around me and attempt to navigate myself through the mirrors. I've thudded into six mirrors when I hear Bidzill enter the House of Mirrors.

"Daniel?" he calls warily. "Where are you? What's taking so long?"

"Bidzill, get out!"

"…I would, but I can't find the door now. Where are you?"

I shift my position and seven Bidzill's come into view. Seeing me, he smiles and moves forward, but quickly slams into a mirror.

"What the… Where are you?"

"Bidzill, she's moving the mirrors!"

"Abe?"

"No, silly!" Alise's voice echoes in the building. "It's me, Alise! I'm so glad you brought company, Daniel. The more the merrier!"

She appears beside me and I slam my fist into her face. The mirror smashes and my fist bleeds.

"You're so mean!" Alise taunts, cackling again. "Don't you wanna play, Danny?"

"No, Alise, I don't," I snap.

I hear a smash and see seven Bidzill's holding their seven bleeding hands.

"Hey… Groovy!" a new voice calls.

Great. As if things weren't aggravating enough without tossing Osmium into the mix.

"I think I'm tripping," Osmium continues. "Am I on acid?"

"No, Osmium!" I call. "We're in the House of Mirrors. Watch out, Alise is in here, too…. Somewhere."

"Are you sure I'm in here, Danny?" Alise taunts. "Maybe I'm outside. Maybe it's a trick."

"Don't listen to her, Daniel," Bidzill calls. "She's trying to mess with your head."

"Guys, do you have my medicine?" Osmium asks.

I ignore him and reach for Bidzill's reflection. I press my hand against his cheek.

"Hey! Keep your hands to yourself!"

"Bidzill!" I shout, grabbing the boy. I'm so thrilled I hug him.

"It's just a funhouse, man. Don't lose your cool."

"I'm freaking out, dude. Alise is insane. She's gonna stab us."

"She's probably not even in here. You know how these things work. It's all just tricks of the light to freak you out. You think you've walked a mile and you're really just five feet from where you started."

I turn to my left and see Osmium's face pressed against a mirror, making out with Alise's reflection.

"Unbelievable," Bidzill mutters.

We leave Osmium be and continue through the House of Mirrors. Then a new face emerges in the mirrors.

Virdiana?

"Vi!" Alise squeals. "Welcome to my funhouse!"

"What's going on?" Vi asks, and I realize that she thought this place was empty.

"Alise has new prey," Bidzill whispers to me. "Let's get out before she gets bored with Vi."

"Now that you're all here, let's have a tea party!" Alise's cackling voice makes me shiver. I turn another corner and see six Abe's. Her reflections stare at me, pure terror in their eyes, and I wonder what it would be like to be scared out of my mind and unable to scream for help.

"Are you ready for the main attraction?" Alise asks, and before my very eyes her eight reflections pull out eight gleaming knives.

Abe raises her fists and Bidzill tightens his grip on his axe. Osmium stops making out with Alise's reflection and stares in alarm at the knife in her hand. Vi backs into a mirror and cowers against it.

"Who wants to play?" Alise asks darkly before swinging her knife into one of my reflections. I watch myself shatter to the ground.

"Am I getting closer?" Alise shouts. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Alise smashes her knife into Bidzill's reflection and Bidzill cringes. I turn and bump into Abe's reflection. Her eyes are haunting; I reach out and slowly touch the mirror. My hand runs along her hairline, brushes her cheek, rests on her dark, mysterious eyes. Maude once told me that eyes are a reflection of the soul. If she was right, then Abe has a dark, scared, lonely soul.

With a smash, Abe smashes into a thousand pieces. Now the mirror in front of me only shows Bizill, who is watching me uncertainly. Embarrassed, I shove away from the mirror and turn another corner.

Abe stands before me. The real Abe. She's staring at a mirror in front of her. I stand beside her and look at the mirror.

Abe's reflection looks back at me, but the mouth is moving.

"My name is Aibileen Jude, but everyone calls me Abe," the reflection says happily, a big smile on her face. "I'm a chatterbox! I just love to talk, talk, talk! Isn't my voice beautiful? Do you want to hear a story? I love telling stories! I also tell jokes, and everyone laughs at them. I give people compliments, too. I thank people and I laugh with people and I sing. I'm a wonderful singer. I sing in the shower and at school. I sing when I'm happy and I sing when I'm sad. But you know the best part? Everyone loves me. I'm never lonely, because everyone always wants to hear my voice. My parents are so proud of me. I'm friends with everyone. I have so many friends, I can't even count them all! You know the best words in the world? I love you. I hear those words all the time, and I say them all the time, too. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you! I can't imagine not being able to say I love you!"

Abe's fist is like lightning; it snaps out and smashes the mirror to bits. As the glass cascades around us, the happy voice echoes above our heads.

"_I love you."_

"We have to go!" Bidzill whispers fiercely to me. "There's no way Alise didn't hear that."

"Abe," I say, reaching for her. She's leaning against another mirror, her fist resting against the glass just above her head. Her shoulders shake and I see tears cascading down her face. "Abe, we have to go!"

She turns and stares at me with an expression of pure loss. For one beautiful moment, she saw what she was missing. She _heard_. And it killed her.

I grab her arm and pull her around the corner. Before us is darkness.

No mirror.

"Osmium and Vi are still in there," I say.

Bidzill stares at me.

"I'm going back for them," I tell him. He nods and grabs Abe's wrist. They run into the darkness as I turn back to the mirrors, just in time to see Alise swing her knife into another reflection.

Except this time it doesn't hit a mirror.

The knife sinks into Vi's gut and she bends over in agony. A cannon fires and she's gone.

Shit. Forget Osmium.

I follow Bidzill and Abe into the darkness.

It takes me a moment to find them standing next to the merry-go-round. Bidzill sits casually atop a painted horse, his eyes trailing my approach. Abe sits with her back against Bidzill's horse and her legs drawn up to her chest. Her hair clings to her face in a sweaty, muddy mess and the tears are still making their way down her cheeks.

"Are Osmium and Vi dead?" Bidzill asks calmly.

"Only Vi," I tell him sadly. "But Osmium probably isn't going to make it out."

"We need to move."

"We should wait for Osmium. Just in case."

"…You wait here. I'll go find us a new camp."

I reluctantly watch as Bidzill heads off into the night; I'd rather not be left alone with Abe. She sniffles and stares at me from her position on the metal floor of the merry-go-round. Ignoring her would only make things worse between us, but I really don't want to talk to her right now.

"Funny name for a ride," I mutter as I take a seat beside her. She looks at me blankly. "Merry-go-round. Ironic, really, in the arena."

She wipes her eyes and turns away from me.

"Look, Abe… it was just a trick the Gamemakers played on you. It was a _mean_ trick, but it was still just a trick. An illusion. You can't let it get to you."

She frowns at me and I remember that she doesn't like being told what to do. Then her face crumples and she turns away from me once more.

"I'm really… _really_ sorry about what I said," I continue quietly. "I'm just… I'm so mad, you know? About everything. The Reapings, the Capitol, the Games… the dying. And I took it out on you because you're an easy target. You can't say anything back. I didn't mean any of it, Abe."

She turns back to me angrily. _You meant it_, she signs.

"I didn't mean it."

_Don't lie to me. Punch me or kill me or spit in my face, but don't you dare lie to me._

"…Okay, I meant it. But I still shouldn't have said it. And I just… I think it's indicative of – "

Something twinkles in her eyes and she mouths the word. _Indicative. _It's off-putting, but I try to ignore her.

"…Indicative of… of an exigency that - "

_Exigency_, she mouths. Then she mouths it again, slower this time. Then again, faster. She works her mouth around the word and the feeling of it makes her smile. Again, I try to ignore it.

"…The exigency being that we're dissonant and – "

_Dissonant_. I watch her mouth move around the word and witness the way her smile lights her face up. Her smile grows as she mouths the word again, _dissonant_, and it almost seems as though she's trying to suppress her happiness but can't.

"Are you laughing at me?" I ask in annoyance.

_You use nice words,_ she signs.

"I use nice words," I murmur to myself, almost in disbelief.

What a weird kid.

_I like to listen to you talk,_ Abe signs. I feel my face heat up. What a weird thing to say. I feel uncomfortable and don't know how to respond to that. And then the right word finds me.

"Anomalous," I tell her, feeling myself smile.

Her smile grows. _More,_ she signs.

"Epicurean. Fallacious." My voice gets husky, seductive, and I make a game of it. "Irascibility. Rancorous." Abe's goofy smile grows and I lean in closer. "Maladroitness. Renascent. Recalcitrant. Fiat." Her mouth opens slightly in awe and I lean ever so slightly forward.

Bidzill clears his throat.

I snap my head back. Bidzill is staring at us with his eyebrows raised.

"We were just… I was…" I stammer over my words and wish desperately that Abe had the ability to cover for me.

"…So, I found a place to stay," Bidzill says slowly.

"Great," I murmur, staring at the ground.

I stand up and follow Bidzill awkwardly; Abe trails behind us.

"I, uh… We weren't doing what it looked like," I tell Bidzil lamely.

"I know what you were doing," he says calmly.

"Oh."

"You were undressing her with your eyes."

"You're an asshole," I tell him, shoving him good-naturedly away from me. He smirks and leaves it at that.

**Deaths this chapter:**

Pawl Temple, 14, District 12

Virdiana "Vi" Rayne, 17, District 4

**Careers: (Location - Circus "Big Top" Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Katerina, 17, District 2

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Water Park)**

Remi, 17, District 3

Haley, 12, District 9

**Alliance Two: (Location - Gift Shop)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Madelyn, 17, District 5

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Unknown)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Lost in the House of Mirrors:**

Osmium, 16, District 6


	6. The Very Bad Thing

**Osmium, 16**

_Picture yourself in a boat on a river_

_With tangerine trees and marmalade skies_

_Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly_

_A girl with kaleidoscope eyes_

Alise is everywhere at once, and yet nowhere.

She is all that is good in this world and she is all that is bad in this world.

Fair is foul, foul is fair.

I see a million faces in the mirrors; every face has four eyes, and every eye is a different shade of magnificent.

_Cellophane flowers of yellow and green_

_Towering over your head_

_Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes_

_And she's gone_

With a smash and a scream, the whole world dissolves around me.

I kneel to the ground and collect up the pieces of my broken life.

The blood drips from my hands as I try to align each piece of sharp, broken glass with another.

The lights go off. The lights go on. The lights go off. The lights go on.

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

I am a mermaid; I am an angel. The world is my stage; the world is my hell. Bright; dark. Bright; dark. The sun rises; the sun sets.

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

It's been weeks since I stumbled out of the House of Mirrors; I'm sure of it. The world has been spinning faster than usual, which makes time go by faster. That's just science.

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

I have beautiful hair.

You have beautiful hair.

We all have beautiful hair.

_Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain_

_Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies_

_Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers_

_That grow so incredibly high_

Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing here? And where are my pants?

The worst thing about getting high is coming back down. Because it's always a crash landing.

_Newspaper taxis appear on the shore_

_Waiting to take you away_

_Climb in the back with your head in the clouds_

_And you're gone_

It's such an easy escape, and just one little sniff can make the world so beautiful. I wish I could live in the kaleidoscope world forever, where nothing makes sense but it's as colorful as all hell anyway.

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

My latest crash landing strands me in a dark, eerie basement full of cobwebs and plastic witches. It's so freaky that I'm nearly positive I'm still tripping.

"Who's down there?" a voice calls.

"Veronica!" I shout, for the sole reason that it's the only name I remember.

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

"…Osmium, is that you?" the voice asks in a sort of defeated tone of annoyance.

"I don't know who I am anymore."

"For the love of… Get out of the basement, you idiot, unless you want to fight off intruders alone."

"Did you say you loved me?"

A thick, tan boy jumps down the basement steps and gruffly takes a hold of my shirt. I allow myself to be pulled up the steps, into a bright new world.

"We're in a brave new world," I proclaim, spreading my arms to the warmth of the fluorescent lighting.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You look like you spent the last hour with your head in a toilet."

"The world is my toilet, baby."

"Are you high?"

"I'm high on love."

"You're not making any sense."

"_You_ don't make sense, man!"

_Lucy in the sky with diamonds…_

**Bidzill, 17**

My nose throbs painfully as I inspect it in a dusty mirror. I trace my finger along the broken bone and shiver in sheer agony. The middle of my nose juts out to the left; how badly will a broken nose affect me in these Games?

I sigh and turn away from the mirror.

"Shit!" I shout in alarm as I come face-to-face with Abe. The little freak is like a ghost; one minute she's there, the next she's gone without so much as a whisper. "What do you want?" I snap.

Her hands move slowly between us.

"No one understands you, Abe."

She lifts her right hand and touches her nose. Then she points to me. Slowly, she leans toward me. Her fingers reach for my face and I anticipate a gentle, feminine touch. This is the part where she caresses my face and falls in love with me, is it not? I imagine her stroking my cheek and leaning in to kiss me, her silent lips against –

"Holy shit!" I scream as she snaps my nose back into place. Unbelievable pain rips through my bones and the blood gushes from nostrils. She gives me a thumbs-up sign, evidently to tell me my nose is fixed, and I kick the wall in fury. As quickly as I release my anger, however, I bottle it up again.

"It's fixed?" I ask, my voice shaking with the pain of it. She nods affirmatively. "Good." She watches me calmly, waiting on my next move, and I wonder at the way she didn't even cringe as she snapped my bone back into place. "You're not normal, you know that?"

She makes a motion with her hand that makes no sense at all and that's when I hear the noise.

We're camping in the haunted house, where nearly every decoration comes with a built-in motion sensor. You can't walk down a single hallway without being bombarded with plastic spiders or harassed by plastic witches with peeling paint. The lights are dim and every few minutes they flicker, or go out completely, only to be replaced by creepy green or red lasers. Annoying as hell, but perfect for hiding. Not only does the house alert me when anyone moves, it automatically changes the lighting to confuse any invaders.

The noise I hear comes from the basement – a deep, male voice echoing up the stairs.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" The question is followed by an obnoxious cackle and a clap of thunder. Through the basement door I see the lights flicker.

"Someone's down there," I whisper to Abe as I lift my axe from the ground. "Where's Daniel?"

She shrugs and tightens the boxing tape around her wrists with her teeth. Any skin poking through the blood red fabric is covered in small cuts from when she smashed the mirror last night. Idiot. Who the hell gets in a fight with a mirror?

Someone who hates herself.

"Well, go find him," I order.

Abe narrows her eyes at my authoritative tone and signs something rapidly.

"Someone's trying to kill us, Aibileen. So stop with the fucking mute shit and do what I tell you!" My voice drops to a fierce whisper as my heart threatens to explode in my chest.

Someone is in the basement. They probably have a weapon. It's more than likely they'll kill at least one of us. And stupid Aibileen is more or less playing patty cake up here.

Lacking the ability to tell me off, Abe places her fingers on her nose and mimes breaking it. I may not know sign language, but I know a threat when I see one.

Having sufficiently displayed her anger, Abe takes off down the hallway and leaves me to discover the intruder alone.

I should have told her to look for Daniel in the basement.

**Abe**

Bidzill is a good ally. Strategic, honest, and strong.

It's too bad he hates me.

If only he knew me. If only he could read my thoughts. Then he would see that I'm not what he thinks I am. Then he would see that all he had to do was give me a chance.

But no one ever gives Aibileen a chance.

Everyone thinks I hate the world. But I know that's not true.

It's the world that hates me.

I find Daniel in the tiny gift shop at the end of the haunted house. Face masks stare at me from where they hang all over the walls. Skeleton keychains dangle at the front counter and plastic Grim Reaper scythes rest against plastic Devil's pitchforks. Daniel sits on the ground, his back against the wall and his head in his hands. He doesn't notice me.

With a flick of my wrist across a dusty shelf I send a snow globe falling to its death. At the sound of shattering glass, Daniel's head snaps up; his tired eyes hone in on me.

I point my index fingers toward each other and touch them together. _Hurt._ Daniel understands and shakes his head.

"Nah," he says quietly. "Just tired. What's going on?"

I make the universal 'I'm watching you' sign by pointing my middle and index fingers at my eyes and then at Daniel. In sign language this isn't a threat; it means _look_. Then I drop my middle finger and point only my index finger at Daniel. _Look for you._

"You were looking for me?"

I nod.

"Why?"

I hold all of my fingers up and curl my thumb into my palm: _B._

"Bidzill?" I nod. "What about Bidzill?"

I want to tell Daniel that someone is in the basement, that Bidzill sent me to look for Daniel because he needs help. But Daniel only understands the most basic signs, and to try to tell him such a complicated thing would be like playing charades. So I simply make the _follow me_ gesture and take off for the basement door.

But as I step out of the gift shop, Daniel pulls me back in.

"Listen," he says. I pause as a familiar voice drifts up the basement steps. "It's just Osmium."

I hear something along the lines of, "the world is my toilet, baby," and decide to let Bidzill deal with the pothead.

**Daniel, 17**

It's a combination of things, I think.

She's a year younger than me; I naturally feel superior to her. With great power comes great responsibility, and I understand that since Bidzill and I are the oldest in the alliance, it falls to us to look after Osmium and Abe.

She's mute. She stares at me with those big eyes of hers and says nothing. There's something about people who don't speak – you automatically assume they're shy, even though that's clearly not true, or at least not in Abe's case. And there's something endearing about a shy, young girl who follows me around like a little puppy dog.

And what do puppy dogs make you want to do? Hug them. Kiss them. Make them feel safe. Protect them no matter what, because that puppy dog sure as hell can't protect itself. And you know that no matter how many times you kick that puppy dog, or how many times you slap Abe with your words, they'll always come back. Because who else would take in a battered old dog, or a silent, furious girl? No one.

And have you ever noticed that the sweetest hugs come from a scared human being? That the best kisses come from a girl who's been beaten?

That's why I want to hurt her, then hold her. That's why I want to shove her away and watch her crawl back.

Power is a dangerous thing.

But wanting to do something is entirely different than doing something. And I would never lay a hand on a girl. That's not the way I was raised.

But that doesn't stop the itching in my fingertips. The itching that tells me to smack her when she spits at me; to call her Abe the Avox when she pisses me off.

It's an interesting phenomenon, bullying. And as it turns out, bullying victims make the best bullies themselves. When someone bullies you, they take away all your power, tell you you're crap, and kick you while you're down. And when you suddenly go from being bullied to being the bully? You become a monster. You are merciless. Trust me.

The Capitol bullied me; they took me away from my home, threw me into this godforsaken arena. And now I want to bully Abe. I want to take back the power that was stolen from me. I want, I want, I want.

I'm telling you this so that you know why I did the thing that I did.

The very bad thing that I did.

I pulled her back into the room when I realized the intruder was just Osmium. No need for us to run down to the basement and get involved in whatever argument Bidzill must be having with him now. And I also feel an increasing want to be alone with Abe.

She watches me like a caged tiger; for whatever reason, Abe understands that she is not one of us. She is a tiger among humans; she doesn't understand us, she lives everyday in fear of us, and the slightest move on our part could alarm her into a fierce attack.

Abe is an animal; I see that now. And all I can do is repeat to myself a useless mantra: _it's more afraid of you than you are of it._

"Are you afraid of me?" I ask quietly, aware that Bidzill and Osmium are right down the hall.

Abe takes a step back and shakes her head, too proud to admit to being scared.

Her face is sharp and angry. Her lips are silent and useless. And yet her hands are mesmerizing. The way she communicates with those long fingers; the way she curls them into fists and breaks noses. I want those hands. Imagine what they could do. They're remarkable.

I see now that I have a certain power over Abe, and something sinister begins to snake through me. I could kill her if I wanted to. It wouldn't be easy, but I could do it. I could pummel her until her bruised face bled. I could rape her and she wouldn't so much as whimper.

Only a fool would mistake silence for submission. So I suppose that makes me a fool.

I step forward and put my hand behind her head, pull her lips to mine. I imagine Katerina's face on Abe's body. For Katerina is a beauty, whereas Abe is not. But Abe has a certain dignity in her build; stout and thick, like a tank. Katerina is a cookie cutter girl with a figure to match. Skinny and curvy, not that there's anything wrong with that. I just prefer the unusually tough body before me. But I could do without Abe's face. Anger does nothing for beauty.

Abe doesn't move her lips at all, which doesn't surprise me. She's never used them before, why start now? In alarm, she tries to pull away, but my hand on her head forces her to stay put. I back her into a wall, eliminating any chance of her escape. That's when her hands, those lovely hands, reach up and snake around my neck. Her touch is light, unsure, and she tries to move her head away from mine. She is lonelier than I could ever imagine, and she tries to turn our closeness into a hug. She's obviously never kissed anyone before, and I doubt she's ever even hugged anyone. Abe wants a friend, she wants a hug, but she doesn't understand this kissing business. I force her head to stay and press my lips harder against hers.

She'll do what I want her to do. Because it's my turn to play God. It's my turn to force people to do what they don't want to do. It's my turn to be the bully.

**Abe, 16**

It hurts. Why does it hurt?

I don't touch people. People don't touch me. I've never experienced a hug before. I can't even recall so much as holding someone's hand.

I don't like to be touched.

Daniel's body is warm. He's pressed against me, and I understand why people seem to like this sort of thing. I've always imagined a hug as a sign of weakness. I even thought it might hurt. To have someone's skin against yours – it must be a cold feeling. It must burn.

But it doesn't. Daniel's body warms my own, invites me closer. But his lips are aggressive, pressing hard against mine, sitting unwanted on my face. Why do people like this? Someone else's saliva in your mouth - in what way is that appealing? And it hurts.

It hurts.

His hand rests on my hand, forcing my face against his. In an attempt to close in on myself I clamp my mouth shut, but only succeed in biting my gums painfully. I want to ask what I'm doing wrong, I want to tell him it hurts.

But I can't, because someone, somewhere, decided that I don't deserve to.

And maybe they were right. Who knows? Maybe I should stop fighting everybody. Maybe I was born to be a doormat. To be stepped on my entire life and never make a sound. I am not as good as the other children; I am not as deserving. Let Katerina make fun of me, let the interviewer taunt me, let Bidzill call me a fucking mute, let Daniel hurt my face. Go ahead. It's your right as an individual who can speak to do whatever you want to me, because I can't speak. Because I am not as good as you. The Capitol can throw District children into the Hunger Games because they aren't as good as Capitol children, and the District children can bully me because I am not as good as them.

It is a food chain, and I am at the bottom.

**Daniel, 17**

I want her to hurt. She needs to hurt.

My hands slam her body against the wall and she stares at me in confused alarm. She doesn't know any better. She assumes this is how people make out.

Love hurts.

The anger twists inside of me. You've been wronged, Daniel. The only way to right the wrong is to shift the hurt to someone else. Make someone else carry this goddamn pain.

It's not about Abe being a girl. It's not about me liking Abe. It's about her being the weakest of the pack. If I try to shift the hurt to Bidzill, he'll slice my head off with an axe. If I hurt Osmium, it won't matter. He's too high to feel the pain. But Abe can be hurt. Easily.

I've spent my whole life watching the people of District 7 hurt her because she's not like us. She's not _one_ of us. She doesn't belong. So we need to hurt her.

We need to use her to send a message. Look, everyone. Look at how she hurts. This is what you get for being different. Stop being different.

I'm going to hurt you, Abe. That'll teach you to be different.

"Does it hurt?" I whisper fiercely. Abe shakes her head, still too proud to admit that she's afraid, that she's hurt. I dig my fingers into her skull with my left hand and into her back with my right hand. "How about now?" Abe bites her lip and shakes her head. "It still doesn't hurt?" I'm out of my body now, out of my head. I'm not doing this to Abe. The hurt is doing it to Abe. The hurt inside of me. The hurt will do whatever it has to do and then I'll take care of Abe. Because it's not right that the hurt is doing this to her. But there's nothing I can do, because I'm not in charge. The hurt is.

She shakes her head again, refusing to admit that I'm hurting her. Refusing to give me the satisfaction. Refusing to give me the power.

Bitch.

I throw her against a glass display case. "What about now?" I shout. "Does that hurt?" The glass shatters behind her as she loses her balance and slams to the ground.

_Yes,_ she signs. _It hurts._

Her face is a mixture of anger, confusion, and hurt. She landed on shards of glass and I can see the blood beginning to trickle out of her cuts. Abe stands up unsurely and brushes the glass from her clothing. Stares at me with those angry, dark eyes of hers.

What have I done?

**Bidzill, 17**

I watch the entire spectacle from the doorway.

Daniel grabs Abe, shoves her against the wall, kisses her brutally and asks her if it hurts. When she refuses to admit that it does, he loses it and throws her against a glass display case. The shattering glass seems to awaken the real Daniel, the Daniel I know, and the threat fades out of his eyes. His soft, gentle nature returns immediately and he steps forward immediately. He reaches his hand out to touch Abe's arm, and she pulls away.

"Abe, I'm so sorry." Daniel's voice is filled with regret. "I don't... I don't know what happened."

Abe shrugs and turns away, always uncomfortable when attention shifts to her.

"Are you okay?" Abe nods sullenly, avoiding Daniel's gaze. "Abe, I would... I would never hurt you. You know that, don't you?"

Well, guess what, Daniel? You just did.

Daniel reaches for Abe's arm again, and this time she allows it. Daniel gently circles his arms around her and comforts her soothingly until the anger and fear drains from her eyes. Then he brushes the shards of glass from her clothing and pauses to stare directly into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he says again. "I didn't mean to hurt you. And I'm sorry that I... I kissed you. It didn't mean anything. I was just... I'm so mad. All the time. Abe, I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again. I promise."

**Daniel, 17**

_It's okay. _Abe signs. _I know you didn't mean it._

Except that I did. I meant it very much. With every bone in my body, I meant to hurt her. Wanted to. _Needed _to.

_I don't hear anything in the hallway. I'll go check on Osmium and Bidzill._

"Okay. I'll meet up with you guys later. I'm just gonna check out the rest of this gift shop, see if there's anything useful in here."

Lie number two. There's nothing useful in the gift shop. I've checked twice.

Abe nods and heads out the door, glancing behind her uncertainly before disappearing down the hall. As she leaves, I feel my anger turn to shame, my hatred to a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Kinda messy in here," Bidzill says, sauntering into the room. I snap my head up, a question in my eyes. "I saw. I saw the whole thing."

"I didn't mean to hurt her, Bid-"

"I don't give a rat's ass about Abe," Bidzill says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She can take care of herself. And besides, she had it coming. But I _am_ worried about you, Daniel."

"Me?"

"Let's be real here. Abe and Osmium are deadweights. You and I are the real alliance. Which means that half of the responsibility is resting on your shoulders. I can't have you losing it on me, man."

"I'm not losing it. I'm fine. I just... I got a little frustrated, that's all."

"A little frustrated? You threw a girl into a glass case, buddy. And to tell you the truth, I was very fucking surprised about that. I thought you had the hots for the little mute."

"I don't have the... It wasn't about her, Bidzill. I wasn't even thinking of her. When I was kissing her... I kept picturing Katerina."

"That's even weirder."

"You think I don't know that?"

"...I just have one question, if you don't mind me asking... You're a nice guy, Daniel. I never pictured you for a hitter."

"I'm not a hitter!"

"Then why'd you do it? Why'd you hurt her?"

I look Bidzill directly in the eyes and give him the simple truth.

"Because _I _was hurting."

**Careers: (Location - Circus "Big Top" Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Katerina, 17, District 2

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Water Park)**

Remi, 17, District 3

Haley, 12, District 9

**Alliance Two: (Location - Gift Shop)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Madelyn, 17, District 5

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

Osmium, 16, District 6

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3


	7. The Trees Bleed

**Avenaye, 17**

Katerina insists that I sneak out with her for a little man hunting under cover of the night. I'm not entirely comfortable with the whole predation aspect of her plan, but I certainly agree that leaving Iskandar behind is best for everyone involved.

Plus it'll be hilarious when he wakes up and realizes he's been ditched.

"Look," Katerina whispers, pointing to a large sign.

Water park.

"Someone definitely would have gone in there," Katerina continues.

Rubbing my possibly broken wrist gently, I send up a quick little prayer that we don't meet up with anyone tonight. I pass under the sign directly behind Katerina and allow her to lead me over to the water slides.

**Remi, 17**

Haley falls asleep in an inflatable inner tube while I keep watch. She sucks her thumb as she rests, and I'm immediately reminded of Alice. My arms itch to hold my sister again and I worry that no one is taking care of her.

"Nice night for skinny dipping. You in?" A male voice echoes against the plastic tubes around us.

"Avenaye, I swear…" a female sighs in annoyance.

"Well, that's your loss, because I have a great body."

"I'm not going to walk around the entire water park with you. You go look somewhere else."

"It's really dark out... Are you sure it's a good idea to split up?"

"Are you afraid of the dark, sweetie?" the female mocks.

"No," Avenaye retorts defensively.

"Then search the water slides. I'm checking the lazy river."

The female's footsteps head away from us while Avenaye stands still. After several moments of silence, he shuffles toward the water slides Haley and I are hiding under.

"Haley!" I whisper, shaking her tiny body. "Wake up!"

She turns wide, fearful eyes on me and listens to Avenaye's approaching footsteps.

"Climb up the slide," I tell her, pointing into the darkness of a covered slide. Haley immediately scrambles up the tube and I follow after.

I stick my hands against the inside of the slide and lift my feet up, then stick my feet against the inside of the slide and lift my hands up. Then I repeat the process, over and over, until I'm halfway up the slide and Avenaye's footsteps stop.

"Hello?" he calls to the general area of the water slides. "Is anyone in here?"

I hold my breath until his footsteps begin again. As quietly as possible, I inch my way up the slide again. I stop myself as I hear a gasp farther up the slide, quickly followed by a loud, echoing thumping. A tiny shoe tumbles past me and down the slide. Avenaye's footsteps stop again.

At the bottom of the slide, I see Avenaye's feet appear. He bends down and picks up Haley's shoe. Then his head appears and he squints up the slide. My heart pumps violently, but it's too dark in the slide for him to see me.

"Remi," Haley whimpers far above me. "My hands are too sweaty. I'm slipping."

"Haley, hold on. Just a little bit longer."

"I can't. My hands are too wet and I-"

Before she can even finish her sentence, she comes sliding down at me. I barely have enough time to throw myself against the far left side of the slide before she goes sailing past me.

"Who's in there?" Avenaye asks nervously at the bottom of the slide as Haley continues her noisy descent. "I have a knife. I'll use it. Don't come at me!"

Haley screams as she catapults into the small pool at the end of the slide. Avenaye immediately stabs her.

**Avenaye, 17**

I'm waiting at the bottom of the slide. Someone's up there. I know it.

A shoe comes out of the slide and lands in the pool I'm currently waist-deep in. It floats sinisterly toward me and I approach the end of the slide to pick it up. Small. Who has small feet?

Children. Girls.

It could be Dara. Or Haley. Or even Desdemona.

But what if it's not? What if it's Alise? What if Madelyn has small feet? Or Laciel? None of them would hesitate to slit my throat. Would they?

Gripping my cutlass fiercely with my left hand, I duck my head down and glance up the slide. Pitch black.

"Who's in there?" I call, my voice shaking with fear. Suddenly, there's the sound of someone sliding down. They're coming after me. "I have a knife. I'll use it. Don't come at me!"

I back up slightly and wait for whoever it is to stop sliding. They don't. My threats have no effect on them; they aren't afraid of me in the slightest. Whoever it is, they want to kill me.

A body comes flying out of the slide, screaming wildly as it does so. Startled, I burst into action. I stab them in the gut before they get a chance to stab me. The body writhes in the water, and I twist my cutlass in absolute terror.

A cannon fires.

By the light of the moon, it's difficult to tell who my attacker is. They stop moving and simply float on their stomach in the calm, red water. I turn the body over and stare into the face of a twelve-year-old. I killed Haley.

I killed a little girl.

**Remi, 17**

My breathing is heavy and I fear that Avenaye will hear it echoing in the slide. But he's far too distracted by the dead body floating before him.

"No," he murmurs. "No." Then his voice raises to a desperate plea. "No! Come on, don't be dead! Don't be dead. Wake up. Wake up, wake up, wake up!" His voice becomes a whine, like a toddler in a toy store. "No, no, no. _No._ Oh, my God, what have I done? What have I done?"

He kicks at the water, loses his balance, and goes under. A moment later, his head pops back up and he gives a strangled cry. His face is soaked, his hair plastered to his forehead. Realizing there's nothing more he can do, he guides Haley's body to the edge of the pool and carries her out of the water.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers as he places her body on the cement. "I'm _so_ sorry."

Avenaye disappears into a supply shed for a moment and returns with a clean, dry towel. He gently covers Haley's delicate, soaked body, and makes sure to cover her face. It's almost nice. Then the blood soaks through the towel, and the trees on the tropical island design bleed.

"Avenaye!" The female from before shouts angrily, storming toward the boy. By the furious tone of her voice I realize it's Katerina. "What the hell? I heard someone screaming bloody murder, and it was all over a little girl? How hard is it to kill a twelve-year-old? You're seventeen, for crying out loud!"

"Sorry," Avenaye says, still shaken.

"Did her ally get away?"

"I didn't see an ally."

"You think a twelve-year-old girl escaped the bloodbath, made it all the way out here, and picked this prime hideout all by herself?"

"Apparently."

"Did you check the slide, you idiot?"

"It's too dark to see up there."

"Then get a flashlight, you incompetent loser!"

Avenaye lowers his head and disappears once again into the supply shed. He comes back out with a heavy duty flashlight, and I breathe what's sure to be one of my last breaths. He approaches the slide, ducks his head, and snaps the flashlight on. I squint in the bright light and watch his eyes widen in surprise as he stares directly at me. Avenaye opens his mouth to give me away.

And then he pauses. He watches me for a moment more, fighting something internally, and I watch in astonishment as his face softens.

"No," he tells Katerina, flicking the flashlight off again. "It's empty. No one's up there."

I breath a sigh of relief as their footsteps head out of the water park.

**Niels, 15**

A cannon fires in the distance.

"Who do you figure that was?" I ask Laciel.

The sun is just beginning to wink at us through the gift shop windows. Early morning, and Laciel and I are the only ones awake. Madelyn sleeps in an uncomfortable sitting position, her head resting on her shoulder and her back against the storage room door. Jango sleeps curled up on the floor next to Madelyn, though I'm sure Madelyn has no idea he's there. He innocently sucks his thumb, and a little string of saliva dribbles out of his mouth and onto the carpet.

"Not a Career," Laciel reasons, staring curiously out the window. "Too early for a Career death. Osmium, maybe. Or Desdemona. Whoever it was, it's just the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

"The weakling killings."

"The what?"

"The weakling killings. After the bloodbath, they're always the first to go. And once it starts, it's one weakling after another. They die fast and they die hard. After that, it slows down for a bit. Each kill is slow and painful. Strategics come into play. But not yet. First the weaklings have to go. The easy kills. Then they bring out the big guns."

I watch her perfect lips form each syllable. She's exotic. Experienced. _Laciel._

"Jango, gross!" Madelyn squeals.

"Oh, that's just a little spittle. It's no big deal, I'll get rid of that for you." Jango leans down and licks his drool off of the carpet.

Even I can't resist making a face at that one.

Madelyn immediately stands up and puts as much distance as she possibly can between herself and Jango. Laciel rolls her eyes and lifts her hands authoritatively, always ready to take charge.

"Alright, listen up. It's day two. It's barely dawn. Most tributes will still be sleeping. But we can't stay in the gift shop, it's too obvious. We need a new camp, and we need to find it before the sun comes up. Now, did anyone grab anything from the Cornucopia during the bloodbath?"

I lower my eyes as I shake my head in embarrassment. How could I have come away empty-handed? Madelyn shakes her head as well, and Jango follows suit.

"So we have no weapons or supplies?" Laciel asks. She doesn't get angry about it, and this strikes me as unbelievably cool. She simply tries to adapt to our current situation.

"Well, I have these," Jango says, pulling wire clippers, needle-thin knives, and blades out of his filthy jacket.

"What the hell, Jango!" Laciel snaps. "You just said you didn't get anything!"

"I said I didn't get anything from the _Cornucopia._ You didn't ask if I had anything from anywhere else."

"If you didn't get these from the Cornucopia, then where did you get them?" I ask suspiciously.

"Whenever I found a dead body, I looked through their clothes and took whatever they had."

"That's a disgusting habit," I murmur.

"Good job, Jango," Laciel says decidedly, taking the blades for herself. I snatch up the wire clippers and Madelyn stares longingly at the needle knives. She wants to take them, but she also doesn't want to leave Jango with nothing.

"Madelyn, I picked these up for you," Jango tells her, handing her the knives. "You always used with tiny knives during training, so I knew I had to find some for you."

"Thank you, Jango," Madelyn whispers shyly. "That was very nice of you."

Jango beams, completely oblivious to the fact that he's now defenseless. Not to mention the fact that he just admitted to stalking Madelyn during training.

"Good," Laciel continues. "At least we're armed. Now we have to find a new base. Let's think about it strategically, okay? We're in an amusement park. What's the best place to hide in an amusement park?"

"Gift shop," Jango offers.

"We're _in_ the gift shop, Jango," Laciel says patiently. "We want a new base."

"Oh."

"Funhouses," I say.

"Funhouses are good," Laciel agrees. "Anything else?"

"If we get on the ferris wheel, we'll be able to see the whole arena," Madelyn breathes, so quietly that I almost don't hear her.

"That's brilliant!" Jango shouts, clapping his hands loudly. Madelyn jumps in alarm at the noise.

"If the ferris wheel suddenly starts moving," Laciel says bossily. "The other tributes are going to get suspicious and come check it out. We'd be announcing our exact location."

Madelyn's face blushes a fierce red and she clamps her mouth shut, thoroughly embarrassed.

"So, we're agreed, then?" I ask. "We'll look for a funhouse?"

"That's the plan," Laciel announces. "Let's head out."

**Luke, 18, District 12 Mentor**

Pawl died. First day.

Good job, Luke. You got what you wanted. A little boy died because of you.

Hooray.

The second day is just beginning, and Laciel is already ordering her alliance to move. Good job, Sis. She's smarter than I give her credit for. She's more of a survivor than me, that's for sure.

I don't like Niels. He watches Laciel with a strange look in his eyes, and I can't tell if he wants to kiss her or kill her. He's suave and charming, not to mention handsome. Laciel is too trusting. I want Niels out of the alliance.

Jango is a wild card. He nearly tore Niels' head off last night, and I get the feeling that's just a little taste of what he's capable of. But he found weapons for everyone. He can stay. For now.

Madelyn is good. Submissive and smart. Laciel is being far too bossy with her, however. I know Laciel can't help it - that's just the way she is. When she sees people who need a leader, she takes charge. And she's a brilliant leader. But she needs to soften up a bit with Madelyn. When Laciel insults Madelyn, it only makes the shy girl draw inside herself even more, and if Laciel is going to win then I need Madelyn in full fighting mode.

As I analyze every angle of Laciel's alliance, the door to my viewing room opens and Weston pops his head in.

"Luke?" he asks, unsure if I'm even in here. I glance to my left, where the District 11 mentor is sleeping with her head on the control panel. She slept through the entire first day, and it looks like she's trying to do the same with the second. How wonderful for her tributes.

"I'm in here," I say, raising my hand instinctively, despite the fact that Weston can't see it.

"Is the old coot sleeping?" Weston asks.

"Yeah."

"Nothing's changed." He takes a deep breath and sniffs the air. "Ah. The smell of Districts eleven and twelve. Scum on the Capitol's shoes."

"Hey!" I say half-heartedly. Because no matter how insulting it may be, my District does smell like crap.

"Hey, yourself. You're the one corrupting my air."

"You're a regular comedian, aren't you?"

"You know, I came in here to invite you into the Districts five and six room, AKA the party room, but because of that cheeky comment, I think I'm just gonna leave your ass in here."

"I thought mentors were supposed to stay in their own viewing rooms?"

"Nobody gives a flying frijole about us as long as our tributes keep dying. Now get out of this room before I faint. Someone's gotta fumigate this place."

"Sometimes I think you're too cocky," I say as I grab my jacket and follow Weston out of my room and down the hall.

Weston pushes open a large door marked '5/6' and I'm suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of popcorn. A radio in the corner is turned up full volume, and my ears are assaulted by a booming beat and the words, _'I like... big... butts, and I cannot lie!'_ In front of the gigantic screens displaying the arena is a tall man with a gruff, rugged face and a filthy suit. He's so close to the screens that his nose is pressed against a close-up of Katerina. He toggles a remote on the display board and the camera zooms in even more.

"Yeah, she's definitely gotta be a D-cup," the man declares. "You owe me five bucks, Weston."

"Cool, because you still owe me twenty," Weston says, throwing himself into a chair.

"For what?"

"My pothead survived the bloodbath, asshole. Pay up."

"Your pothead?" I ask.

"Osmium," Weston says casually, as if they're betting on horses and not human beings.

"You guys really do have the coolest viewing room," I admit. All of my fears and worries suddenly fear silly in the face of their casual, fun-loving attitudes.

"Who's the new guy?" the District 5 mentor asks.

"You know Lucky Luke," Weston answers. "He won last year. And Luke, this is Rafael."

"Hey, this is perfect," Rafael announces. "The new guy will be the tie-breaker."

"What do you mean?"

"We have a lot of votes," Weston explains. "And every single vote ends in a one-to-one tie."

"In fact, I have a question to put to vote right now," Rafael says. "So, lately, there have been a lot of... attractive female tributes. And I've been thinking, would it be inappropriate for me to have sex with one of them?"

The room goes completely silent, and I find myself wondering if there's even the slightest chance that Rafael is serious.

"Well, how old is your alleged victim?" Weston asks, apparently giving this serious thought.

"Well, she's not my victim, first of all, she's my lover."

For the love of...

"You've got a one in seven chance of her being eighteen," Weston points out. "In which case I think it would be entirely appropriate."

"Just because it's legal doesn't make it appropriate," I interrupt. "And besides, he still has a one in seven chance of her being twelve."

"...That's true. In which case I'm thinking it probably wouldn't be _as_ appropriate..."

"Okay, does the voluptuousness of her body have any effect on the appropriateness of the situation?" Rafael asks.

"Of course," Weston answers.

"Why?" I ask in alarm.

"I think the bigger question is why can't Rafael get with a woman his own age?"

"Well, there's no need to be hurtful," Rafael retorts.

I shake my head in disbelief as their moronic conversation continues. I wonder if it's going to be like this for the rest of the Games.

Because I don't think I would mind.

**Deaths this chapter:**

Haley, 12, District 9

**Careers: (Location - Circus "Big Top" Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Katerina, 17, District 2

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly Domaine, District 10

Dara O'Gaur, District 10

Desdemona Moor, District 8

**Alliance Two: (Location - Gift Shop)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Madelyn, 17, District 5

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

Osmium, 16, District 6

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Water Park)**

Remi, 17, District 3


	8. Peek A Boo

**Desdemona, 13**

A cannon fired in the night. The trees whisper to me that it was Dara. He killed another tribute. My brain tells me this isn't true - he was here all night, how could he possibly have killed anyone? But Dara is the monster under the bed; he defies all logic. He isn't restricted by the rules of nature.

"Desdemona, I'm going to do a little recon, okay?" Dolly tells me. "I'll check out the arena, scope out the best hiding places, stuff like that. You stay here with Dara, okay? Look after him."

Dara doesn't need looking after.

"Dolly, no!" I say. "You can't leave me with Dara!"

"Why not?" Dara's chilling voice asks.

I spin around to find him directly behind me.

"Because... I'm scared that another tribute will find us while you're gone, Dolly," I lie.

"No one will find you. It's too early in the morning for other tributes to be out hunting." Dolly's words do nothing to comfort me. It's not the other tributes I'm afraid of.

"I'm gonna go tinkle," Dara says cutely, skipping out of the arcade tent.

"Dolly," I whisper. "Dara isn't who you think he is. Last night, I saw him-"

"I just remembered!" Dara says loudly, running back into the tent.

"Remembered what?" Dolly asks patiently.

"That I don't have to go to the bathroom."

Dolly watches Dara with slight confusion; Dara watches me with the eyes of a hawk.

He heard.

"Dolly, I'm coming with you," I declare.

"If Dara will be okay by himself..." Dolly says, unsure.

"I'm afwaid!" Dara cries like a toddler.

"Mona, you'd better stay with Dara. I'll be back soon. Don't worry."

Dolly ducks out of the tent. Dara watches me with his vicious, predatory eyes.

"You seem tense," he taunts, abandoning his toddler voice.

"...It's only the second day," I say slowly. "There are still a lot of tributes in the arena. Maybe that's why I seem tense."

"I'm bored. Let's play a game."

"What do you want to play?" Terrified, I wait for his answer.

"Peek-a-boo," Dara hisses, yanking a knife from his boot.

I scream and run through the arcade. Slide under the air hockey table, climb over the plastic motorcycles, and duck behind the skee ball machines. My breath comes out in quick, loud bursts; I slow down my breathing and try to silence it as best I can.

"Peek-a-boo!" Dara whispers, suddenly appearing next to me.

"El diablo!" I scream, scrambling out from behind the skee ball machines and running for my life.

Tripping over my shoelaces, which must have become untied sometime during our game of peek-a-boo, I flee from the arcade tent. Suddenly finding myself outside in early dawn, I'm assaulted by a light chill. The sun is just peeking over the horizon, and the amusement park around me is bathed in a dim light. In front of me is the ferris wheel; I turn and come face-to-face with the drop tower.

Lacking any good hiding spots, I run further down the fairground, every shadow yelling to me that Dara is close behind. Even as I hear two voices arguing, I can't will my legs to stop running. Any death at all would be better than facing Dara.

A tall boy watches me fly by with mild curiosity; his female companion is not so generous. She snags the back of my jacket as I attempt to pass her and slams me against a tree. Her fingers dig into my neck and her face is overcome by a look of fierce concentration.

A Career. It's funny; I always imagined a smile would cross their faces as they took away the life of another. But this girl is too distracted by the task at hand to even begin to enjoy it. I feel the sting of peeled skin as her nails squeeze my tender skin.

"Katerina, wait!" the boy says.

"Shut up, Avenaye!" Katerina snaps. "I'm trying to get a kill!"

"She was running from something! And whoever, or _whatever_, it was, it's probably still after her. We need to move!"

Katerina's grip on my neck loosens as she considers this.

"Besides, she came from somewhere else," Avenaye continues. "She can tell us about that part of the arena, tells us if she saw any other tributes, and warn us about whatever she found back there that had her running for her life!"

Avenaye is breathing rapidly now, glancing behind his back every few seconds. The look on my face is terrifying him. I am less afraid of two Careers than I am of whatever was following me. Avenaye is smart enough to realize this, and he doesn't like the implication.

"We need to move!" he repeats pleadingly.

"We'll take her back to the Cornucopia and pump her for information," Katerina concedes, dragging me by the back of my jacket as she hustles toward the big tent the Games began in.

**Avenaye, 17**

That girl was really running.

Whatever it was that was chasing her, it really had her spooked. And I'm not really in the mood to face off with it this morning. Besides, killing two little girls in a row has got to be bad karma.

Not to mention the fact that I don't think I could live with myself if I had that much innocent blood on my hands.

"Start talking, pipsqueak," Katerina demands, throwing Desdemona to the ground rather roughly.

"Where have you two been?" Iskandar demands, popping his head out from under a bleacher. "I thought you'd ditched me!"

"Kinda busy here, Izzy," I tell him.

"It wouldn't have been the first time, I can tell you that. My family ditches me every year on Reaping day. They get up an hour earlier than they say they will and leave without me. They say I slow them down. They ditch me _every year,_ can you believe that?"

"Kandy, we've got a bit of a hostage situation going on over here."

"Did that little girl ditch me, too? Is she part of our friendship circle? I don't remember her..."

"First of all," Katerina says angrily. "We're not a friendship circle, we're the Careers, you dumbass. Second, you need to shut your mouth right now before I shut it for you."

Iskandar immediately quiets down.

"Spit it out, kid, or I'll slit your throat," Katerina snaps at Desdemona.

"No comprendo, no comprendo!" Desdemona cries, cowering on the ground.

"Tell me right now!" Katerina screams.

"Katerina, could I give it a try?" I ask calmly, raising my hand as if asking a question in school.

"...Knock yourself out."

"Desdemona, hey," I say in what I hope is a gentle, friendly manner as I kneel down next to the girl. "It is Desdemona, right?" She nods. "Listen, we're not going to hurt you, okay?"

"You don't know that," Katerina interrupts. "I haven't decided yet."

I give Katerina a meaningful look before turning back to Desdemona.

"We just want to know what was chasing you," I continue.

"El diablo," the girl whispers in terror.

"I speak Spanish," Iskandar says proudly. "I can translate for you. She says she was being chased by man named Diablo."

Katerina rolls her eyes and I take a deep breath, biting my tongue.

"The devil was chasing you?" I ask Desdemona. "Is that what you were running from?"

"Corro de muerte!" Desdemona cries.

"...What?"

"Muerte!"

"I believe she said, 'more tea,'" Iskandar informs me.

"Thank you, Iskandar," I say. Why hurt his feelings? If he wants to think he speaks Spanish, let the poor fool think he speaks Spanish. "You were running from muerte, Desdemona? Death? Death was chasing you?"

"Tell her to stop speaking Spanish," Katerina tells me, as if she expects me to translate this to Desdemona.

"She can hear you. And she speaks English. I don't need to tell her anything if you say it right in front of her..."

"Desdemona," Iskandar says in his professional translator voice. "Katerina wants-oh you to es-speak-ay en English."

"Iskandar," I sigh. "Desdemona speaks better English than you do. She's just scared. Go get her some water, will you?"

"Desdemona, yo, that means I, am going to get you some agua, okey-dokey?"

Desdemona nods her head ever so slightly. I smile widely at her until I realize that a smile that big may look slightly insane at this point, and decide to tone it down a bit. Iskandar returns momentarily with three bottles of water.

"I didn't know if you wanted water from Fiji, that's a really famous lake, or Poland Springs, which I think is a mountain, or Aquafina, which is a foreign country. Oh, you probably already knew that, though, because they speak Spanish there. Is that where you're from? Aquafina?"

"She's from District eight," I say patiently, taking the Aquafina water from Iskandar and handing it to Desdemona. "But that was a good guess, buddy."

Desdemona tentatively sips the water, but shyly stops when she realizes that Iskandar, Katerina and myself are all intensely focused on watching her drink.

"Can you get her a blanket, Iskandar?" I ask. "She looks cold."

Iskandar runs off and returns in seconds with a light blue blanket. I wrap Desdemona in the warm fabric and lead her to a set of bleachers.

"Why don't you sit here?" I ask, motioning to the bench. "It's much more comfortable than the floor. You need anything else? You hungry or anything?" Desdemona shakes her head shyly. "Now can you tell us what was chasing you?"

"...Dara," she says quietly.

"She says Dara was chasing her," Iskandar interrupts.

"She's speaking English, buddy," I tell him. "You don't need to translate anymore." Not that you were even translating in the first place.

"Oh. Okay."

"Dara was chasing you?" I ask Desdemona.

"Dara, from District ten," she tells me.

"The little boy? Why was he chasing you?"

"He was trying to kill me."

"...He probably just confused you. Dara doesn't know how to kill anybody."

"He killed Pawl."

My stomach drops. Little Pawl Temple. Killed by Dara.

If I was so wrong about a little boy, imagine how mistaken I could be about everyone else in the arena?

"Are you sure?" I ask quietly.

"I watched him do it."

"Was it self-defense?"

"No. Dara wanted to do it. He liked it. He teased Pawl the whole time."

"Shit," Katerina whistles. "Who would've thought?"

"Not me," Iskandar answers. "Not you. By the looks of it, not Avenaye. Probably not Bidzill. Maybe Pawl, seeing as Dara killed him and all. I bet Osmium didn't know. I think Desdemona knew, though, since she's telling us. But Remi probably-"

"It was a rhetorical question," I sigh.

"Oh. If I had known it was a historical question then I wouldn't have answered. I'm not good at history."

"No, not historical, _rhetoric_... Never mind. Desdemona, where did you find Dara?"

"I didn't find him. He was in my alliance."

"Your alliance? He was in your alliance? So you had another ally besides him?"

Desdemona shuts her mouth and shakes her head back and forth vehemently.

"Desdemona, who else was in your alliance?"

"No one. No one else."

"Desdemona, we can help you. But you need to help us first."

"I can't tell you. I can't tell."

"Desdemona, we're not going to go after your allies, we just want to know who's where."

"I don't want anyone to hurt her."

"...So it's a girl?"

"No!"

"Alise?" Katerina guesses. "Or Laciel? Laciel is nice, she'd probably ally with a little girl. Or Madelyn. She's weak enough to need to ally with a little girl. Abe wouldn't be able to get any ally _but_ a little girl."

"Niels," Iskandar suggests.

"Niels is a boy."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty positive."

"What about Desdemona? She might ally with a little girl."

"Desdemona _is_ the little girl, you idiot!"

"Oh. Right. What about Katerina?"

"_I'm_ Katerina!" Katerina grinds through her teeth.

"I thought you were Avenaye?"

"You're a complete moron!"

"I think we're getting a smidge off topic here," I interrupt. "Desdemona was allying with two people. Dara and some girl. If Dara was willing to kill Pawl and Desdemona, I'm sure he'll have no problem killing his other ally, so it doesn't really matter who that girl is. She'll probably be dead by the end of the day."

"No!" Desdemona cries.

"She's going to die unless you tell us her name," Katerina tells Desdemona, seeing an opportunity to manipulate the girl's feelings.

"Okay... It's Laciel."

"I knew it!" Katerina shouts, pumping her fist in victory.

"Laciel is a big boy," Iskandar tells us. "I don't think Dara could take him."

"You're probably right," I say, deciding it's better to just go along with it than to tell Iskandar that Laciel is a girl. It would just give the poor lad a brain cramp. "Now, Desdemona, where were you three hiding?"

"In the Haunted House," she admits.

"Perfect. Dara and Laciel are hiding in the Haunted House. Guys... I just got us the location of two tributes! Was everyone watching that?" Abandoning all interrogational professionalism, I do a little victory dance. I'm in the middle of a pretty stellar running man when Katerina kicks me swiftly in the shin. "Sweet mamma!" I cry, bending over in pain to nurse my damaged limb.

"Desdemona," Katerina says sweetly. "You just helped us a lot, Sweetie. And we gave you water and a nice warm blanket and we were super nice to you, weren't we?"

Desdemona nods uncertainly.

"Well, we weren't _that_ nice to her..." Iskandar mumbles, earning himself a shin injury identical to my own.

"And because you were so helpful," Katerina continues in her sickly sweet voice. "We want to help you, too. Guess what, honey? You're a Career now."

Desdemona gulps audibly.

"So because you're a Career, you get to sleep in our tent at night, and you get to use our weapons, and eat our food, and drink our water. Isn't that really nice of us to share our things with you? But since we're being so nice to you, you have to be nice to us, too, okay? So you're going to go outside and explore the arena. And when you find another tribute, you're going to come back here and tell us where they are. Got it? And if you do that nice thing for us, then we'll keep doing nice things for you."

_She's not five,_ I want to tell Katerina. _You don't need to treat her like a baby. She was smart enough to know Dara was a murderous little bastard, while were stupid enough to think he was an adorable little_ boy.

"Okay," Desdemona whimpers, terrified that if she dares say no Katerina might lop her head off.

"Good girl," Katerina coos. "Now go out and find us some information."

With a rough shove, Katerina sends Desdemona out the door.

How could you, Katerina? You just sent that little girl to her death.

I bite my tongue like a coward.

"And now we get to have some fun," Katerina says, turning to Iskandar and I.

"Are you suggesting a threesome?" I ask with a sly smile.

"You're a pig, Avenaye. We're going to that Haunted House to take care of Dara and Laciel?"

"I'm into some kinky stuff, Katerina, but even I draw the line at fivesomes."

"Every time you open your mouth you make me want to slap you," Katerina calls over her shoulder as she ducks out of the tent to go take the lives of two more innocent people.

**Careers: (Location - Circus "Big Top" Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Katerina, 17, District 2

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly Domaine, 16, District 10

Dara O'Gaur, 12, District 10

Desdemona Moor, 13, District 8

**Alliance Two: (Location - Gift Shop)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Madelyn, 17, District 5

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

Osmium, 16, District 6

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Water Park)**

Remi, 17, District 3


	9. Just Too Little Of

**Remi, 17**

Her tiny body flew right past me.

And I did nothing to stop it.

Why didn't I try to save Haley? I'd like to say that she passed me so quickly I didn't even have a chance to try. But I know that's not the truth, because I distinctly remember throwing myself out of the way as one thought crossed my mind. That thought? Was it, perhaps, _Haley is in trouble and I should help her_? No.

_I've got to move before she takes me down with her._

And I can't say that I regret my cowardice. Not even a little.

**Bidzill, 17**

Judging by the position of the sun, it's getting late; it'll be dark soon. Not that you wouldn't know it from the looks of the Haunted House. The lighting in here is always dim, if there's any lighting at all. I stand in a cobweb-covered library. The Gamemakers really went all out with this arena. The Haunted House consists of three floors and a basement, as well as an attic. While the special effects and plastic monsters are cheesy, the building itself is quite classy.

I hear the door open behind me and spin around. Abe. What the hell does she want? As she approaches me, I see she has a pad of paper in her left hand and a pen in her right.

"You need something?" I ask casually, running my hand over the books on the shelf next to me.

Abe rips the top paper from her pad and hands me something she must have written before coming in here. _I'm sorry I broke your nose. _I crumple up the paper and toss it to the ground.

"What, did Daniel's beating make you realize how much it hurts?" I say mean-spiritedly.

Abe watches me in confusion before writing something down and handing the paper to me. _Daniel didn't beat me._

"I saw the whole thing, Abe. And while we're on the subject, I might as well tell you that he was one step short of raping you. Not that I care either way, but if you're smart you'll stay away from him."

_Daniel didn't mean to hurt me. It was an accident._

"Accident my ass. You know he did it on purpose, Abe. But you're a tough girl. I mean, hell, you broke my nose. Why didn't you just break _his_?"

_I didn't want to hurt Daniel. Daniel is my friend._

"You're _friend_? You're dumber than you look."

_We're friends._

"You think you and Daniel are friends? Well, here's a little reality check for you. What Daniel did to you in that room? That's not what friends do."

_He didn't mean to._

"Abe, were you not listening to anything I just said? Daniel threw you into a glass display case. And, yeah, sure, he said he wouldn't do it again, but guess what? They always do. _Always_."

_Daniel is my friend._

"I'm telling you he's not. Why won't you listen to me?" How many times am I going to have to tell her the same thing before she stops arguing with me and realizes I'm right? If there's one thing I hate, it's people telling me I'm wrong when I'm not.

I'm never wrong.

_You're wrong._

"I'm _not_ wrong!" I tell her angrily. "Daniel is your friend? That's why he's allowed to do whatever he wants to you? What about us? We're friends. So I guess that means I can do this, right?"

I grab Abe and force my lips onto hers. I find it extremely repulsive; I have to resist the urge to cringe. Her lips belong on a dead fish - they're cold and useless. But my need to be right is overwhelming, and that's why I have to make her kiss me, even if she doesn't want to, because...

I'm turning into Daniel.

The second the thought crosses my mind, I pull away from Abe. I don't like Abe, that much is true, but that doesn't make it okay to take advantage of her. I know enough to respect women. As a principle, not just because pulling a stunt like this could lose me sponsors.

"Abe, I'm sorry," I sigh, wanting her to know that I regret my actions and yet hating to apologize for anything. "I just wanted to prove a point. I shouldn't have touched you at all, and I'm sorry."

She stares at me with a mixture of shock, confusion, and fear. Shame snakes through my gut.

"Hit me," I tell her. She doesn't understand. "I hurt you, Abe, so now you get to hurt me. Then we'll be even. Hit me."

She writes something down on that stupid pad of hers again and hands it to me. _I don't want to hurt you._

"Come on. I just made you kiss me. _Hit me_."

_I broke your nose. You kissed me. We're even._

Abe doesn't want to hurt me. Strange. This whole time, I assumed she would try to hurt me any chance she got.

"You're different than I thought you were," I admit.

**Abe, 16**

"You're different than I thought you were," Bidzill tells me.

I can't stop the smile. I am not who everyone thinks I am, and now Bidzill knows.

Bidzill is the only one who knows.

"What are you thinking?" Bidzill asks me quietly.

_Why does everyone want to hurt me?_ I write.

"No one wants to hurt you, Abe."

_Then why do they keep doing it?_

The world wants to hurt Abe. And you can tell me that's not true, but it won't change the fact that I spent my life being bullied every time I stepped off my porch. And it won't change the fact that Katerina called me an Avox, that the interviewer mocked me when he was supposed to be getting me sponsors, that Bidzill called me a fucking mute. And it won't change the fact that Daniel hurt me.

**Bidzill, 17**

An idea is forming in my mind. Not a nice idea, but an idea nonetheless.

Daniel and Abe are getting too close. Soon it won't be Daniel, Abe, Bidzill and Osmium. It'll be Daniel and Abe, Bidzill and Osmium. I can't lose Daniel as an ally and get stuck with Osmium.

I need to turn Daniel and Abe against each other.

There's a record player in the corner of the library. I pull out the perfect selection and place it under the needle. Abe watches me curiously.

_What the world needs now_

_Is love, sweet love_

_It's the only thing_

_That there's just... too little of_

"It was too quiet in here," I say with a charming smile. "You know, I've been thinking. When you broke my nose, I couldn't help but notice that you've got a wicked left hook. You box?" She nods warily.

_What the world needs now_

_Is love, sweet love_

_No, not just for some_

_But for everyone_

I approach her casually and stop a foot away.

"Abe?"

She looks at me.

"Will you forgive me for kissing you?"

She nods.

"Good. But would you forgive me... for doing it again?" I close the final gap between us and wrap my arms unsurely around her body. I lean my head down and she stares at me with wide, confused eyes. I press my lips gently against her own and she doesn't resist this time.

_Lord, we don't need another mountain_

_There are mountains and hillsides... enough to climb_

_There are oceans and rivers... enough to cross_

_Enough to last 'till the end of time_

"Abe," I breathe. "I won't let Daniel touch you again." I feel her press against me.

Step one: seduce Abe.

Check.

_What the world needs now_

_Is love, sweet love_

_It's the only thing_

_That there's just... too little of_

I sway her gently as I kiss her; I rest my hand on the back of her head and gently stroke her hair.

It's almost sad how easily she falls for it.

This is why the plan will work: Abe has never known love. She's spent her life being the one you nobody wants to touch, and now she's overwhelmed by the attention I'm giving her.

_What the world needs now_

_Is love, sweet love_

_No, not just for some_

_But for everyone_

"What are you doing?"

I spin around, immediately shoving Abe away from me. Daniel stands in the doorway of the library, and the look on his face can only be described as peeved, if I do say so myself. Daniel stands uncertainly next to Abe.

"Why was he touching you?" Daniel asks.

Abe simply shrugs.

"You don't even like Abe," Daniel accuses, turning to me.

Abe snaps her head in my direction.

"That's not true," I deny.

"Were you hurting her?"

"No," I spit. "That's your job."

"Take that back!"

Daniel takes a threatening step toward me. I refuse to be intimidated; I step forward, too, so that our faces are so close our noses almost touch.

"You don't scare me," I say, my voice hostile. "You're just an asshole who's too weak to take on someone your own size, so you hit women."

Daniel shoves me, sharply and deliberately. I shove back. That's when Osmium comes running between us.

"Guys, no!" he sobs. "Stop fighting over me!"

"We're not fighting over you, you idiot!" I snap.

"You're tearing our family apart!"

"We're not a family!" Daniel shouts. He extends his arm to punch Osmium, but Abe intercepts, stopping his fist with her palm.

She lowers his fist and takes his head between her hands. She takes her right hand and signs three words. First she extends only her thumb and pinky finger, and brings her hand in a downward motion. Then she turns her hands into fists and bumps them together. Then she points to herself.

**Daniel, 17**

_Stay with me._

I feel myself calming down; I focus all of my attention on Abe's face. I stay with her.

As Bidzill and Osmium begin an argument, Abe takes my hand and leads me from the library to a room down the hall. She opens the door and pulls me into what looks like a supply closet. She shuts the door behind us and stares at me, waiting for me to speak.

"I'm sorry, Abe," I whisper. "I just want to go home."

She pulls me into a hug, and suddenly I'm crying. We fall against the door and slide to the floor. She holds me and I cry into her shirt; her left hand holds the back of my neck while her right hand strokes my back.

I fall asleep in her arms as a gentle tune plays down the hall.

_What the world needs now_

_Is love, sweet love_

_It's the only thing_

_That there's just... too little of_

**Careers: (Location - Circus "Big Top" Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Katerina, 17, District 2

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Desdemona, 13, District 8

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

Dara, 12, District 10

**Alliance Two: (Location - Gift Shop)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Madelyn, 17, District 5

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

Osmium, 16, District 6

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Water Park)**

Remi, 17, District 3


	10. Cold

**Remi, 17**

I leave the water park. Avenaye knows I'm hiding here, and who knows how long he'll keep that secret?

I wait until night. I'm not idiotic enough to go prancing around the arena in broad daylight. When the sun settles down, I take off through the fairground and search for a new hiding place. But what I find instead is a band of Careers.

Avenaye, Iskandar, and Katerina crouch outside the Haunted House in the dark.

"This is big, guys," Katerina coaches. "A once in a lifetime opportunity. Dara and Laciel are hiding in there, and we have the chance to surprise attack them. I don't want anyone flaking. If you flake, I'll kill you."

Something tells me she's not bluffing.

"Iskandar, you walk in first," Katerina says. "You're the bait. While you distract them, Avenaye and I will come in and take them out. Avenaye, you take Dara. I've got Laciel."

"Why do I have to take out Dara?" Avenaye whines.

"What, you can't handle a little boy?"

"What if he hurts me?"

"Then I can only hope the injury is fatal."

"How fatal?"

"Avenaye! Iskandar, you go in on the count of three. One... two... three!"

Iskandar stays frozen.

"Iskandar!" Katerina whispers fiercely.

"Hmm?" Iskandar turns to Katerina.

"What are you waiting for?"

"...I wasn't listening, what's going on?"

Without another word, Katerina shoves Iskandar through the doorway and into the Haunted House. Immediately, the lights inside the attraction flash menacingly and a ghostly cackle echoes through the building.

I don't want to miss a chance to get in on this action.

**Bidzill, 17**

My plan hit a minor setback. I think I actually brought Daniel and Abe closer together. But that's okay; I'll bounce back. They'll be at each other's throats by this time tomorrow.

A menacing cackle echoes from the first floor.

"Someone's here," I hiss to Osmium.

"Maybe it's the pizza guy," he says casually.

"Go find Daniel and Abe," I snap.

As Osmium goes running out, I head down to the first floor. I pause halfway down the staircase and watch Iskandar walk unsurely through the Haunted House.

"Katerina?" he calls. "...Avenaye? ...Is anyone here? AH!" He startles backward and falls on his butt as a plastic witch pops out from the wall.

I grab a metal spear from one of the tall, metal knights lined up along the hallway. Jumping over the banister, I land gently on my feet and take off after Iskandar. That's when another tribute appears in a window. I grip my spear and take a step toward the glass, but Remi puts a finger to his mouth in a shushing signal. He jerks his head toward the front door and holds up two fingers.

Two more tributes?

It could be a trap. But I've never figured Remi for a Career, so I don't know why he would be helping the likes of Iskandar. So he must be helping me. I point to myself and then to Iskandar, then to Remi and the front door. I'll get Iskandar, he'll get the tributes at the front. He nods silently and disappears from the window like a ghost.

"Bidzill, we're here!" Osmium shouts from upstairs. I hear his thundering footsteps, like a herd of elephants, pounding down the hallway. Then I hear several thuds as he trips and falls down the stairs. "Oh, God! ...Okay, I'm okay! I'm okay!"

Iskandar spins around in horror and stares at the spear in my hand.

"Hey, guys," he says shakily. "What's up?"

"Kill him, Bidzill!" Osmium shouts. "Rip out his eyes and feed them to the rats! Shave his head and make him eat the hair! Put his-"

"Osmium, shut it!" I snap. "Iskandar, there are two other tributes outside. Who are they?"

"Katherine and Abraham," Iskandar says, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"There are no tributes named Katherine and Abraham."

"...You mean they lied to me?"

Obviously not going to be any help. Might as well kill him.

I lunge forward with the spear and Iskandar ducks, screaming like a little girl. He takes off down the hall and I follow close behind. But he's fast, and I'll never catch up to him. And then Abe suddenly jumps down from the rafters and lands directly in front of Iskandar. She pounds her right fist into her left hand repeatedly as she glares at him.

Iskandar glances at Abe in front of him and me behind him. He's trapped. And then the front door bursts open behind me and Avenaye comes tumbling in, Remi right behind him. They wrestle on the floor, both unarmed, and Iskandar takes advantage of my momentary confusion. I feel a slight gush of wind as he runs by me, and then he's gone.

Katerina comes crashing in through a window and yanks Remi off of Avenaye. Avenaye immediately attempts to run down the hall, but Osmium suddenly comes running out from another room, pushing the door open with frightening force and slamming it directly into Avenaye, who crashes into the wood and falls to the ground.

"That little bitch lied to us!" Katerina screams. "There are three of them!"

"Where did you learn to count?" Daniel asks, stepping out of the shadows and slamming a vase against her head. She crumbles to the floor. "There are four of us, bitch."

"Five," Remi says, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Osmim, you kill Katerina," I order. "Daniel, Remi, Abe - let's split up and look for Iskandar. And, shit, did Avenaye get away?"

I look to the spot on the ground where Avenaye had been lying a few moments ago, and find it empty.

"I'll take the basement," Daniel offers, taking off for the stairs.

"I'll go upstairs," Remi says, bounding up to the second floor.

I wait for Abe to tell me where she's going, then remember she can't.

"Abe, come with me," I command. If she goes off on her own, she won't be able to shout and tell us that she's found anyone.

We leave Osmium with Katerina's unconscious body and take off down the hallway that Avenaye disappeared from. Abe ducks her head quickly into each room as we pass, and I keep my eye on the corridor.

Suddenly, Abe stops and points. I follow her finger and see a solitary soap bubble floating toward us.

"What the..." I touch the bubble and it pops in my hand. And right before my very eyes, five more come floating out from the kitchen.

I pause outside the kitchen and take a deep breath. Wielding my spear, I spin into the room. Decapitated heads, of the cheesy, plastic variety, sit on the kitchen table. Organs hang from the ceiling. Fake blood coats the floor. Abe slips in the red liquid and I hold out my hand to balance her. No sign of the bubble blower.

A large, industrial-sized freezer is built into the end of the kitchen. There they are: the bubbles. They float out sinisterly as I creep up to the freezer. I lunge into the freezer, extending my spear to stab then bubble blower.

But the joke is on me, because he's waiting. Avenaye is pressed against a shelving unit in the freezer, a frozen turkey in his arms. As I lunge into the freezer, he throws it at my face and darts past me. Before I can so much as turn around, he's shut the door on me.

"Abe!" I shout. "Open the door!"

Someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around in surprise and find Abe, trapped in the freezer with me.

It seems things are about to get a little chilly.

**Avenaye, 17**

It was brilliant, if I do say so myself.

There was no way I could win if I faced off Bidzill and Abe all by myself. But locking them in the freezer? Easy. And the best part? They'll still die. It'll take a few hours, but it'll happen.

It'll happen.

Now to get out of this freak show. I sprint from the kitchen and duck my head into the hall. Clear. Dart down the hall and run into a dead end. Great. Stalk back down the hall and find another dead end.

What the heck? I could've sworn this was the way I came in...

Ducking into an empty room, I find myself in a very dangerous part of the attraction. Two blades swing down from the ceiling, slowly getting closer and closer to me. I reach for the door I just entered through to find it locked.

What now, Avenaye?

Think.

**Daniel, 17**

The basement is empty. It isn't until I've searched the entire place until I realize: Bidzill didn't send me to the basement to find anything.

He sent me to the basement so he could be alone with Abe.

He tricked me. And Abe tricked me, too. She must have known, must have realized. They're both working together. They're both against me.

Everyone is against me. I can't trust anyone.

Running back up the stairs, I sprint down the hall to confront Bidzill and Abe. Fuming, I find myself in a dead end. When I head back the way I came, I find another dead end.

That's impossible.

Furious and confused, I duck into a bright room. I spot Avenaye on the other side. Between us are two sets of blades swinging from the ceiling; one coming my way, one heading for Avenaye.

The two blades coming for me swing back and forth, crossing each other every second. I jiggle the doorknob behind me, but it's locked. How did that happen? The blades get closer and closer. Could I make it through them?

Maybe. Maybe not. If I don't, one thing's for sure: I'll be sliced in half.

"We have to work together, Daniel," Avenaye shouts from his end of the room. "My door's locked, too."

"Work together?" I shout back. "Why, so you can escape and then kill me?"

"You'll die anyway if we don't work together!"

"And how do you suggest we get out?"

"I was hoping you had an idea."

"Well, I don't, genius! You think we can run through them?"

"Only if you try first."

"We're not getting anywhere by arguing!" I shout as the blades come within ten feet of me. How much time do I have left? A minute? Thirty seconds?

"Is there anything on your side of the room?"

"No. Yours?"

"No. Damn it."

"There has to be a way out," I think out loud. "The Gamemakers wouldn't trap us in here unless they wanted to see a daring escape."

"I hate to disagree with you, buddy, but I'm not seeing any trapdoors or secret passageways."

"Then we have to use the blades to get out!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"They're the only things in the room!"

"If that's all you can come up with, then we're gonna die!"

"_Think_, Avenaye!"

"What would Indiana Jones do?" Avenaye asks himself.

He keeps repeating this mantra to himself, and that's when I know we're going to die.

**Remi, 17**

I run up the steps to the second floor. Take a left down the hall. Another left. A right. Another left. How long is this corridor?

As I approach another turn, I hear a noise.

...Snoring.

I peek warily into what looks like a bedroom and find Iskandar asleep in the bed.

Perfect.

I approach the bed slowly and silently; I'll suffocate him with a pillow. I finally reach the bed and begin pulling a pillow out from under his head. He's sleeping on three, so he shouldn't notice much. That's when I hear a noise outside the window.

Cursing myself silently, I momentarily abandon my efforts to suffocate Iskandar. I can get back to that later. Whatever is happening outside won't be happening forever, and I don't want to miss any chance to gather information on the other tributes.

Jango and Niels stand by the ferris wheel, shouting at each other and making threatening motions with their hands. They're a nice distance from the Haunted House, but being on the second floor gives me an advantageous view. Are they allying together?

_Why?_

Niels is a strong contestant. Jango should've been a bloodbath.

As I watch, Madelyn and Laciel come out of a building nearby and approach the boys. Jango points at Madelyn and shouts something. Madelyn covers her mouth with her hands and runs off, crying. She heads in the general direction of the Haunted House, but I'm sure she won't choose this building. She gets closer, narrowing her choices considerably, and finally she stops right below my window.

No, come on. Go the other way. The funhouse, or the bouncy bounce. Go on. Take a hike.

She climbs in through a broken window.

Iskandar startles awake, staring at me with wide, fearful eyes.

So much for suffocating him in his sleep. I sprint out the door before he becomes fully awake and decides to fight me; I jump down the staircase just as Madelyn comes into the front hall. We stare at each other for a moment before she takes off in fright. She heads down a dark hallway, and I elect not to follow her. She's not worth the energy it would take to kill her.

**Abe, 16**

We're trapped in the freezer.

It's cold.

"Damn it!" Bidzill shouts, kicking the door repeatedly. "Someone open the door! Hey! Open the door!"

He continues to scream and pound at the freezer door. Keep doing that, Bid. I think it's helping.

While he wastes his time and energy, I scour the freezer for a way out. Think, Abe.

Where is the air coming from?

A vent in the ceiling.

I tap Bidzill on the shoulder and point to the vent.

"So what, Abe?" he snaps. "It's in the ceiling. We're on the ground. Use your head."

He resumes his temper tantrum against the door. Fine. I work better by myself, anyway.

I grab one of the shelving units and attempt to pull it to the center of the freezer, directly below the vent, but it refuses to give. Too heavy. Fine. I'll just have to get creative.

I tap Bidzill on the shoulder again. He spins around in annoyance and gives me a look. I put my hands together and mime giving someone a boost.

"Why, Abe? You can't make it to the vent. It's too high."

I mime it again, more insistently this time, and he finally gives in. Whining and bitching the whole time, he puts his hands near the ground. I place my foot in them and he lifts me up. I grab onto the closest shelf and pull myself up. But he was right, there's nowhere to go from here. I let go of the shelf and allow myself to fall back to the ground.

"See?" Bidzill says smugly, happy to be proven right. "I told you."

But Bidzill is not right. There is a way out of here. And I'm going to find it, because I don't give up.

My face is freezing, and I'm having trouble feeling some of my fingers. My fingertips are blue.

Keep looking.

**Bidzill, 17**

What she does next is astonishing.

Abe backs up to the door, shooing me away. Then she shoves off of the door, runs across the freezer and jumps against the wall, kicking off with her foot and propelling herself against the shelf. She manages to grab the top shelf with her right hand. Within a few minutes, she's pulled her entire body up there.

She stares down at me smugly.

"Okay," I say with a wave of my hand. "You were right. Now get us out of here."

She yanks open the vent and that's when I get my first taste of freedom. We're so close. Abe motions for me to come up and join her.

"How do I get up there?" I ask.

She points to the wall.

"How could you ever think I'd be capable of something like that?"

She stares at me, at a loss.

"You climb out, then come back and open the door," I tell her. She gives me a thumbs-up and reaches for the vent. "Abe?" She turns back and looks at me. "You _will_ come back, right? You wouldn't leave me here, would you?"

Because, let's face it. I haven't exactly been the nicest to Abe.

She points to herself and then the freezer door. She'll be there.

And then she climbs up into the vent and disappears.

**Avenaye, 17**

What would Indiana Jones do?

He would jump through the blades, that's what. But I lack both the speed and grace to do that without losing a limb, so that's a no-go.

What else, what else? His whip! That always seems to come in handy. But I don't have a whip, so that's no good, either.

"We're out of time!" Daniel shouts, pressing himself as close to the wall as possible.

I follow suit, as my blades are mere inches away.

"Daniel!" I shout. "...I want you to have my bubbles!"

"I'll be dead, too, Avenaye!"

"Goodbye, cruel world!"

I close my eyes as the blades reach me. The first one slams into my stomach; the second hits the back of my head. The force of them throws me to the ground, off to the side of their death path.

"I'm hit!" I scream. "I'm hit! Man down! Oh, it hurts... The agony! I see a light... It's such a pretty light... I'm coming, Gam-Gam!"

"You done?" Daniel asks.

"Almost. Don't forget me, Papa! Remember me as I was!"

"...You gonna get up now?"

"Why am I not dead?"

"The blades were plastic. After I saw you get pummeled by them, I jumped through them. It was actually pretty easy."

"Why would they be plastic?"

"Because it's an amusement park, Avenaye. It was just meant to scare us."

"Are you gonna kill me now?"

"I don't have a weapon. The doors are unlocked now, though. Why don't you go out the left door, and I'll go out the right one?"

"That's really nice of you, Daniel. You're my hero."

"I'm gonna go now. There's a back door in the basement, it's probably safest if you go through there. I wouldn't want to try the front door."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Take care of yourself, Avenaye."

"You, too, Daniel."

He walks out the right door. As he steps through, I catch the glint of a knife in his boot.

That son of a bitch. He did have a weapon. I feel a smile tug at the corners of my mouth.

He's not a bad guy.

Brushing myself off, I stand up and leave through the left door.

**Abe, 16**

I crawl down one section of the vent and turn into another. It's like a maze, and before long I'm thoroughly lost.

Of course, there's an easy solution.

I slam my fist into the section of the vent in front of me and listen to the creaking whine. I slam my fist again, and this time it breaks. I fall to the ground and find myself back in the library. Wonderful.

That's when I see him.

"Hey, you're the girl that tried to break my wrist," Avenaye says, grabbing a poker from the fireplace.

I lift my fists and wait for him to make the first move.

"I've had a really rough day, Abe, so don't make this any harder than it needs to be. You got away once, not your luck has run out. The jig is up, kid."

He approaches me casually. After watching me a moment, he lunges forward with the poker. I swerve to the side and spin so that I'm behind him. Flustered, he turns around and tries to stab me again; I duck and jab him relatively lightly in the stomach. He backs up and tries a new tactic, this time swinging the poker at my head. I jerk my head back to avoid it and then throw myself to my knees.

Like lightning, I slide between his legs and jump up behind him. As he spins around, I grab his neck and shove it toward the ground. As he falls, he drops the fire poker and extends his hands to catch himself. I kick the poker away and stand over Avenaye.

"I'm just gonna take this moment to apologize," he says shakily. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, what with me trying to kill you and all."

I yank him from the ground and drag him out of the room. He resists, and I slam his head forcefully against the wall. As I continue to drag him down the hall, he spits out a bloody tooth. I shove him into the bathroom and snap the stall door shut behind us.

"What are you doing?" he asks in horror.

I dunk his head in.

And then I flush.

His screams are gargled. I count sixty seconds before I allow him to come back up for air.

"I'm sorry!" he shouts. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't put my head back in the toilet, please!"

I dunk him again.

For those of you that don't know, this is called a swirly. I've survived one hundred and seventy-two swirlies in my life.

Two or three won't kill Avenaye.

I would kill him, but I don't have time to strangle him or beat him to death. I'd need to find a weapon, and then he might escape. So I'll dunk his head a few times and then leave him on the bathroom floor. Then I'll get Bidzill out of that freezer.

Besides, I think Avenaye slows the Careers down. No sense killing him if it would just speed them up.

I pull his head out again and he begs for mercy. I kick him sharply in the gut and leave him moaning, curled up on the stall floor.

Time to find the freezer.

**Daniel, 17**

I'm lost.

Down one hallway, through one room, down another hallway. There's no end in sight.

I pause. Someone's crying.

I peer into the dining room and see Madelyn sobbing at the table. I know immediately that I have to kill her, and yet I can't bring myself to do it. Her head snaps up and stares at me. Without a word, she pulls out three needle-thin knives and throws them at me.

I try to duck, but it's no use; they slip into my stomach. Like getting a shot at the doctor's. I yank them out, one by one, and breathe through the pain. When I raise my head, she's standing above me. She looks terrified, and I almost feel bad for her. She kicks me in the face; I curl into myself, guarding my face with my arms and hands. The fiery pain in my left cheek tells me she broke it.

This is it. I'm done for. She's going to kill me.

Madelyn kicks me again, this time in the kneecap, and I grunt in pain. There's nothing I can do; she has me on the floor. She's in control.

And then my silent savior comes through the door.

Abe sees me on the floor and takes a step toward Madelyn, who immediately yanks out more needle knives. Madelyn throws them at Abe, who dodges them with ease.

Don't hurt Abe. It'll only make her mad.

Madelyn throws three more knives at Abe; all but one miss. The final one shoots directly through her ear. Abe grabs at it in pain, yanking it out. The blood spills into my hair, but Abe ignores the pain. That's what happens when she goes into fighter mode.

Abe steps toward Madelyn, then dances to the left. She jabs Madelyn in the shoulder, ducks, swings to the right side and punches Madelyn in the jaw. Madelyn stumbles away, holding her face with her right hand. With her left, she pulls out more knives, but Abe has had enough. Abe punches her right fist into her left palm; she's just warming up.

Madelyn tries to throw the knives, but Abe slams her arm into Madelyn's wrist and the knives fall to the ground. Abe punches Madelyn in the gut, grabs Madelyn's left arm, and spins the girl around. Once Abe has a hold of Madelyn's wrists, behind Madelyn's back as though Madelyn is a criminal and Abe is a cop, Abe slams the other girl into the wall.

Something snaps in Madelyn's face. She screams and wriggles from Abe's hold, but once she's away all she does is slap Abe. This infuriates Abe, who takes the hand that slapped her and twists it until snaps. Madelyn shrieks in pure agony and drops to the ground. Abe grabs the girl's head and slams it against the floor, over and over again.

The sheer rage that lives in Abe is terrifying. It was the first thing I noticed about her, and now Madelyn's awakened it. Abe becomes an animal; vicious and merciless. Twenty-three times, she slams Madelyn's skull to the ground with violent force. Even after the cannon sounds, Abe continues. Madelyn is every bully that's ever laid a hand on her, and now it's payback time.

"Abe!" I shout. "Abe, stop!" I grab her and pull her away from Madelyn's limp body. "What's wrong with you?"

She writhes away and is about to fight me the same way she fought Madelyn when she sees my face. Her own face contorts in horror.

"What?" I ask. The pain in my left cheek is indescribable. "Is it bad?"

She grinds her teeth together before turning to stare at Madelyn's body. Seeing what she's done, she shows no regret, and that frightens me. But when she looks at me again, there's nothing but sympathy in her face.

She would never hurt me.

"Abe, I'm okay," I tell her. "You saved me."

I reach for her, begin to pull her into my arms, but she shoves me away with that unbelievable force of hers and tears off down the hall.

"Abe!" I call after her. But she's gone.

There's nothing I can do but follow.

**Bidzill, 17**

Abe's not coming back.

She ditched me.

I should've known. The way I treated her. Not that it's my fault - she's temperamental. I mean, talk about a short fuse.

But it still hurts to know that she's going to leave me to die in here.

Just as my fingers are at the point when they feel as though they may snap off, the freezer door opens. I stare at Abe in wonder; she came back for me.

She yanks me roughly out of the freezer. She never did have a gentle touch.

"I th-thought you d-ditched me," I shiver.

Abe shakes her head, disgusted by the very idea. She takes my face in her hands and stares into my eyes. Then she hugs me fiercely. I sink into her warmth and rest my head on her shoulder. As the warmth returns to my body, I suddenly feel revived. There's something about a near-death experience that makes you feel remarkably alive.

Suddenly, a passion flows through me and an electric need courses through my veins. I need her. I need Abe.

I take her face in my hands and kiss her fiercely. She doesn't pull away. She freezes for a moment, but then she kisses me back. I press her against the wall with my body. My hands grip the wall behind her as I kiss her harder. I want her. I want her now.

She slides down the wall and I follow; I pull her away from the wall and on top of my body. We roll over and then I am on top of her, still kissing her fiercely.

"How could you?"

Daniel's voice sends a chill through my spine, worse than an hour in the freezer.

Moments later, he's ripping me off of Abe. With astonishing strength, he throws me against the wall. Then he's after Abe, yanking her off the floor and screaming in her face.

"You bitch! What were you doing with him?"

"What's your problem?" I shout at Daniel. I don't care so much if he hurts Abe, but he ruined a perfectly good make out session right when my hormones were screaming for more.

He smacks Abe across the face and shakes her by her shoulders. She does nothing to fight back, even though I know she's more than capable of killing him with her own bare hands. I remember what she told me earlier - she doesn't want to hurt Daniel. She doesn't think he means to hurt her.

"I loved you!" Daniel cries, slamming her against the wall. "And this whole time you've been going behind my back with _him_!"

This whole time? More like the past five minutes. Someone's paranoid.

I back up toward the freezer again. I sure as hell don't want Daniel turning his rage on me.

"How could you do this to me?" Daniel asks again, slamming his fist into her shoulder.

Daniel's shouting attracts Remi, who comes bursting through the door.

"What's going on?" he asks in alarm, looking from Daniel to Abe to me.

I take a step back, trying to separate myself from the situation entirely. As Daniel ignores Remi and smacks Abe again, Remi steps between them.

"Hey!" Remi shouts. "What are you doing?" He shoves Daniel to the other side of the room. "Leave her alone!"

"This isn't any of your business," Daniel snaps, cooling down on his side of the room.

"What's going on?" Remi asks again.

"Daniel got pissed 'cause Abe likes me more than him," I say nonchalantly.

"Abe is mine!" Daniel shouts at me.

"You were beating her up because you were jealous?" Remi asks quietly, a palpable anger in his voice. He turns to me. "And you were _letting_ him?"

I try to come up with an excuse, but can't. I shrug sheepishly.

"And, what, are you sleeping with both of them?" Remi snaps at Abe. "The three of you are shit."

"Daniel, I don't like his attitude," I say angrily. "You want to beat him up?"

"I think you're right, Bid. This is none of his business. We were sorting it out ourselves."

"Someone's gotta teach him a lesson."

We both step toward Remi, who backs up uncertainly. That's when Abe leaves. Just walks away. Daniel and I watch her go. I'm all for letting her walk away, but Daniel doesn't want to.

"I'll come back for you," Daniel warns Remi before taking off after Abe.

Suddenly left alone with Remi, I find myself in a very awkward situation. I can no longer fight him because I no longer have the advantage of numbers.

"So... How's your day going?" I ask lamely.

"I'm gonna go look for Osmium," Remi says, shoving past me and heading down the hall.

"Good!" I call after him. "That's good... Great..."

I stare at the floor and wonder what to do next.

**Daniel, 17**

"Abe?" I ask, heading into the room I thought I saw her enter.

It's a bedroom. She sits on the bed, her head in her hands. I close the door gently behind me and approach the bed.

"Abe," I say softly. "I'm so sorry."

She turns away, wiping her face angrily.

"I don't mean to hurt you. I would never, ever want to hurt you. I just... You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

She turns to stare at me and I see the dark bruise I left on her face. My own cheek burns in pain. I can't believe what I did to Abe. I was blinded by rage; I couldn't stop myself. She should know - she did the same thing to Madelyn. But Abe didn't deserve it from me. I would do anything I could to take it back. That's not me. I'm gentle. I'm caring.

It was the hurt. It was the hurt that got Abe. Not me.

"I just got jealous. Abe, I love you. I love you so much."

And that's not a lie. I do. I love Abe. Or, if I don't love her, I _want_ her. I want to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her, I want her to belong to me. Not to anyone else. Just me.

"I'm so sorry, Abe. I'll never hurt you again. I promise."

I pull her face to mine and kiss her. She tries to pull away, and this time I let her. But when she sees the hurt on my face, she takes my face gently and kisses me back. I join her on the bed and hold her as I kiss her. Before long, I find myself with my hand under her shirt. Then I'm lifting her shirt off.

She pulls her shirt back down, an embarrassed blush appearing on her face.

"Abe, come on," I groan. "I love you. Don't you love me?"

She stares at me without answering and I try to lift her shirt again. She stops me, weaker this time.

"Let me do this," I hiss.

Slowly, she releases her hold on her shirt and I take it off of her. She doesn't fight me over the rest of her clothes. My own clothes come off easily and not even the fear in her eyes can ruin it for me, not even the way she turns away and refuses to look at me, not even the tears that flow silently down her face. If anything, they make it better.

**Abe, 16**

I am scared.

I don't understand people. Why do they do this to each other? Do girls ever want it? Maybe this is what happens. Maybe it's only supposed to be fun for the boy. So I'll stay quiet, and I'll do what Daniel tells me. I want to be normal. I want to behave the way every other girl would behave.

I don't want to be different anymore.

**Bidzill, 17**

Osmium is gone. So is Katerina.

Remi and I can't understand where on earth they went. They disappeared without a trace. No blood, no footprints, nothing. Just gone.

Avenaye is missing as well. Remi tells me Iskandar was upstairs, but he got away. He says Madelyn was downstairs at some point, also. She got away, too. But we both heard the cannon fire about an hour ago. So either Iskandar, Madelyn, Avenaye, Osmium, or Katerina is dead.

I guess we'll find out tonight.

Remi's words keep coming back to me, keep screaming in my head. _And you were _letting _him?_

Like I'm some kind of monster for stepping back and minding my own business? For not getting involved?

Am I?

I should have done something. I shouldn't have let him hurt her. Well, now I know. Now I know what I have to do, and I'm sure as hell not gonna let it happen again.

...I should tell her that. I should tell her right now. She's probably still mad at me. She won't be if I just tell her that.

"Abe?" I ask, walking down the hallway she ran through. "Abe, where are you? I need to tell you something."

I hear a grunting coming from one of the rooms. What's going on? That can't be Abe - she can't speak. Maybe Avenaye or Iskandar is in there? I push the door open slowly. What I see makes me sick to my stomach.

He's on top of her. Like some kind of monster. And there she is, silent Abe, _my_ Abe... she's crying. She's crying and her eyes are closed. In pain? In sadness? In fear?

I want to stop him. I want to. But I can't. I feel weak, sick. I silently close the door and sit against it. I should barge in right now. I should give him what he deserves. But how do I know Abe is upset about it? Maybe she likes it. Maybe she wants it. How would I know? Maybe that's just how girls act.

And what if it just embarrasses her? She'll never look at me again. Daniel will hate me. Our alliance will be over. It's easier, so much easier, to just pretend that it's not happening.

So that's what I do.

As I retreat back down the hall, I realize I don't have anything to tell Abe anymore. I wanted to tell her that I wasn't going to let Daniel hurt her again. But there's no point now. I'm too late.

He already did.

**Katerina, 17**

My head is groggy as the world slowly comes into focus.

"Where am I?" I slur.

My head is throbbing. I vaguely remember a lamp breaking. Sitting up, I find myself in a large, entirely pink room. It's dark, but I can somewhat make out a shadowy figure in the room. Smoke is everywhere. It smells sickly sweet. What the hell is going on?

"Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty," someone sings sinisterly.

"Who's there?" I ask in fear.

"Just... _Ozzy_."

Osmium's face appears before me. His eyes are bloodshot, his fingernails filthy. He's high. Crackhead.

"Get away from me!" I snap, pulling myself off the bed. Or at least, trying to. My hands are tied to the bedposts with rope. Same with my feet. "What the hell!"

"You're staying here, Princess. You'll only be safe in the castle. This is where you belong."

"Are you going to rape me?" I breathe.

"No, no, no. That's Prince Charming. I'm just the dragon."

He slithers away and disappears through a trapdoor.

He's locked me away in the princess castle. Kidnapped me. What will he do next? He's high - he could do anything.

I have the feeling I'm one princess who won't be getting a happily ever after.

**Deaths this chapter:**

_Madelyn, 17, District 5_

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

Dara, 12, District 10

**Alliance Two: (Location - Unknown)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

Jango, 17, District 5

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Daniel, 17, District 7

Abe, 16, District 7

Remi, 17, District 3

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Kidnapper and Hostage: (Location - Princess Castle)**

Osmium, 16, District 6

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Locations Unknown:**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Desdemona, 13, District 8


	11. A Really Good Yodeler

**Remi, 17**

Bidzill went off to find Abe. By the time he comes back, he looks like he's seen a ghost.

"What's got you spooked?" I ask casually as I scour the room for weapons or any sign of the missing tributes.

"Nothing," he murmurs.

"Nothing, my ass. You saw something."

"I didn't see anything."

"Okay, Bidzill. Hey, did you find Abe?"

At the mention of her name, his face goes pale.

"Yeah, I found her," he mumbles.

"And how you found her upset you? What, is she dead?"

He shakes his head.

I slam my hand against the wall. When I came into this arena, I expected the tributes to be murdering each other, to torture each other. But Daniel crossed the line. And now he's probably doing it again but no one's going to stop him because Bidzill is too much of a coward to say anything.

All I can think of is Alice. What if someone did that to her?

I would kill them.

"Tell me," I demand. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," he whispers.

"Bidzill," I say gently, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Tell me. Tell me and we can fix it."

He raises his head and I see that his eyes are haunted.

"He's raping her in there," he breathes.

I'm running down the hall before I know what's happening.

**Bidzill, 17**

I follow Remi back to the room. I don't want to open the door again. Remi does. I nearly close my eyes, but the deed is done.

Daniel stands in front of the bed, shirtless. As Remi and I storm into the room, Daniel reaches for his shirt, but Remi snatches it off the bed and throws it to the ground. I shiver as I remember that naked chest over Abe. Abe who is now nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" I ask weakly.

"What are you talking about?" Daniel asks.

"I want to kill you right now," Remi says to Daniel.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Daniel snaps.

"Did you think that just because she couldn't say 'no,' that made it okay?"

"I'm the only one who listens to her! None of you give a damn what she has to say. _I'm _the one that learned sign language for her! You two hated her until she turned herself into a victim, and now you're pretending to care!"

"She didn't turn herself into a victim. _You_ turned her into one."

"You don't know Abe."

"Where is she?" I shout.

Remi and Daniel both turn and look at me in surprise.

"Check the bathroom," Remi tells me.

I jiggle the doorknob, but it's locked. Without a moment's hesitation, I kick the door in. Abe is sitting on the ground, her back against the bathtub, knees pulled up to her chest and her head buried in her arms. She looks up when she hears the door being kicked open; her face is dirty, bruised, bloody and streaked with tears.

"God damn it," I murmur, throwing a hand up in defeat.

"You like hitting girls?" Remi asks Daniel in disgust. For his part, Daniel stares down at Abe in a curious mixture of confusion and regret.

Uncomfortable with all of us looking at her, Abe stands up. After a moment, Daniel steps into the bathroom and reaches for her; she shoves him away angrily. Daniel is left standing there, looking hurt.

"I want him out of the alliance," I say shakily, pointing to Daniel.

"_Me_?" Daniel says in outrage. "I want_you_ out of the alliance!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You thought I wouldn't find out? The way you keep going after Abe, trying to make me look bad? I can't count how many times you've told me you hated her, Bidzill. You're playing her. _Using _her. Manipulating her feelings so she'd turn against me."

Abe flinches at the word 'hated.'

"That's not true," I say weakly.

"You don't like her at all. I love her, Bidzill. No matter what I've done, I did it all because I love her. Everything you did was for yourself. You think I'm lying, Abe? Go ahead and tell her it's not true, Bidzill."

"It's not true," I try to lie, but it comes out as a whine and sounds unbelievably fake.

Before any of us boys know what's going on, Abe's hands are on my chest and she's shoving me backward. I fall into the bathtub, pulling the shower curtain down with me. As I struggle to get free, Abe grips my head in her hands and prepares to slam it into the hardest thing she can find.

But Remi is faster than her, and he holds her back. She kicks and struggles against him, but he's strong.

"This alliance obviously isn't going to work anymore," Remi says.

"I'm out," I declare angrily, throwing the shower curtain off of me and standing up. "I can't be in an alliance with someone I don't trust." I glare at Daniel.

"And I can't be in an alliance with someone so selfish," Daniel spits back.

Abe's hands fly into a frenzy of motion but, as usual, no one understands her. And so I guess Daniel was right. None of us cared about Abe. In fact, we _still _don't care about Abe. We care about injustice. Righting a wrong. Defending the vulnerable. But we don't care about Abe.

Or, at least, Remi doesn't. But I know that seeing Katerina or Laciel under Daniel wouldn't have bothered me half as much as it did to see Abe down there. I played with her feelings because I thought she deserved it. I thought she was a mean, cold mute. But she came back for me; she didn't let me die in that freezer. If I had known then what I did now, I would never have kissed her.

Daniel wants her body. I want her hands. Her hands that opened the freezer door; her hands that broke my nose; her hands that touched me so gently.

But who could love a girl who doesn't speak?

**Abe, 16**

I let him do the thing I didn't want him to do.

I let him do it because I thought that's what all girls did. Because I didn't want to be different. I wanted to be normal, so that Daniel would like me. Because that must be why he hits me - I'm different. He's trying to beat all of the different out of me.

But afterwards, he apologized.

That's when I knew that normal girls don't let guys do the awful, terrible thing that I let Daniel do to me. I was being normal when I tried to stop him. Daniel made me let him; he made me be different. I hate being different. He wouldn't have done it to Katerina if she hadn't wanted him to. Not to Laciel. Not to Alise. But it's okay to do it to Abe. Why?

Because it's just Abe.

When he reached for me, I shoved him away. I wanted someone to hug me. I wanted someone to tell me it would be okay. But I didn't want it to be Daniel. Not anymore.

Bidzill is a liar.

I thought that he liked me. But nobody really likes Abe. Bidzill only pretended. He pretended because he knew I was stupid. He knew I would believe him.

Why do I always have to be so... _Abe_?

I would give anything in the world... _anything_... to not be Abe.

I hate Abe.

**Remi, 17**

"Then it's agreed," Bidzill declares. "The alliance is over."

"What about Remi and Abe?" Daniel asks. He and Bidzill both turn to me.

"Abe goes with whoever she wants," I tell them. "I'll go with whoever she doesn't want."

**Abe, 16**

It's over.

There's something to be said about being the only girl in a pack of four tributes. I sometimes wish I'd allied with another girl, but none of the girls seemed to like me. Now it'll just be me and Daniel, or me and Bidzill.

All things considered, I'd rather go with Remi. But Daniel and Bidzill hate each other. And as much as it seems to be my fault, I know that they were incompatible from the beginning.

But how do I choose?

Bidzill would never hurt me. I would be safer choosing him. But Bidzill hates me. If these turn out to be my final days, I don't want to spend them alone. Daniel wants me to choose him; he needs me to choose him. And if I don't do anything to upset him, we'll be fine.

I point to Daniel.

**Remi, 17**

Bidzill swears, angrily kicking the wall with his foot.

"You're an idiot," he hisses at Abe.

She glares at him and makes some symbol in sign language. Then she walks out of the bathroom. Daniel smiles smugly at Bidzill. Bidzll jerks forward to attack Daniel, but I grab him and hold him back.

"You keep your hands off of her!" Bidzill shouts to Daniel's back.

And then they're gone.

**Weston, District 12 Mentor**

I was the one who gave Osmium the drugs.

He's worthless. Pathetic. That's been obvious from the beginning. I figured the least I could do for him was let him die in peace. High. The way he'd want.

But the drugs made him so insane that they actually helped him survive. And now he's holding Katerina hostage in a princess castle.

My tribute thinks he's a dragon.

Why me?

"Damn," Rafael curses, slamming his hand on the control board. "Lost another tribute."

Rafael was Madelyn's mentor. He really wanted a winner this year.

"That's the seventh kid I've lost, did you know that? I mean, did you see the way Abe brutalized her? What a way to go, man. That kid's a fucking _monster_."

"She's not a monster," I say. "You just don't get it."

"Yeah, yeah, she's mute and you're blind, see no evil, speak no evil. Whatever. But you can't honestly tell me that you'd annihilate someone the way she did, and being blind is ten times worse than being mute."

"She's mad. I get that. And it doesn't matter how you kill someone. Killing is killing. And every single one of us in this room have proven that we're capable of doing it."

"Except Luke. Pussy."

Rafael is slightly miffed that Luke managed to escape the Games unscathed; no innocent blood stains his hands.

"You have a serious language problem, you know that?" I snap. "Lay off Luke."

"Why don't you fuck off, West?"

"Why don't you get off your high horse and stop judging people?"

"Why don't you make me?"

"Don't tempt me, Raf."

"Come at me, no eyes!"

"Shut _up_!" I slam my hands in the direction of his voice and end up shoving him in the chest. I brace myself for retaliation, but nothing happens. I hear a sniffling coming from the floor.

"She just kept slamming her head into the floor," Rafael chokes out. "Over and over again. She wouldn't stop. And now Jango... now that stupid kid is gonna go after Abe, and she'll do the same thing to him."

"Get off the floor, man," I say gently.

"It's just so fucking pointless, you know? I mean, Osmium is gonna kill Katerina, then Avenaye and Iskandar will kill Osmium, then Bidzill will kill _them_, then Daniel will kill _him_, and in the end we're just gonna reward the most depraved of them all. 'Cause that's what we are, West. We're the worst of the worst."

"Don't do this," I plead quietly. "Come on. Get up and deal with it, Raf. Don't make me fucking cry, too."

"I can't do it anymore. The jokes on us, Weston. We weren't the winners. We were the losers."

"Rafael, go in the bathroom and wash your face before Luke comes back. That kid is this close to losing it, and you're gonna push him over the edge."

"I'm going, you asshole. Make the kid get me some fucking enchiladas when he comes back. I can't do this shit anymore."

I listen to him shuffle off to the bathroom. The squeak of the faucet. The running water. Another squeak and the noise ends. The door opens and I hear Luke come in.

"You okay?" he asks me.

"Fine," I murmur, sitting back down in my chair.

"Where are my enchiladas?" Rafael asks grumpily as he comes back out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry?" Luke asks in confusion.

"Where are my enchiladas, kid? Come on, don't do me like this, man."

"I didn't know you wanted enchiladas. I don't even know where to get those..."

"You don't have my enchiladas? Are you kidding me right now?"

"He doesn't have your enchiladas, Raf," I interrupt loudly. I run my hands over the control panel until my fingers find the triangular button that calls an Avox to the room. I press it lightly.

"Un-fucking-believable. Just astounding, kid. My mind is spinning."

"Take a walk, Raf," I suggest rather sternly.

"...Fine. But when I get back, there'd better be some enchiladas on my desk, or I'm going to_ lose it._"

"God forbid."

The door opens and closes, the sound effects to Rafael's exit, and I can almost feel the tension draining from the room.

"What was that all about?" Luke asks warily.

"Rafael is an acquired taste," I explain. "And he's not the most likable guy. But he's a damn good mentor. And he takes it pretty hard when he loses a tribute. He won a few years before I did. I remember watching his interview. He wasn't a bad guy back then. But the Games made him... he just doesn't give a damn anymore. That's why he's so..."

"Abrasive? Rude? Bold? Mean? Inappropriate?"

"Yeah," I sigh. "That's Rafael."

**Niels, 15**

I was only talking to Madelyn to ask her questions about Laciel. But Jango had to jump to conclusions and flip out about it.

When I see her face in the sky, I feel a twinge of regret. I wonder who killed her? The Careers, most likely. Or Jango?

Is it possible that Jango killed her?

Either way, they're both gone, Jango and Madelyn. Jango probably won't be coming back now that he knows she's dead. In fact, I should watch my back; he might think it's my fault she died and come after me.

"What are you thinking about?" Laciel asks, taking a seat across from me. We're in the cafeteria; we've been waiting here ever since Jango and Madelyn left.

"Jango. I figure he won't be coming back."

"It's too bad about Madelyn, but they were weighing us down, Niels. It's easier this way."

"Yeah. Just quieter. It feels weird."

"There's no time to think about that. We have to keep moving if we want to survive."

"Why not stay here?"

"We'll stay here tonight. But we need to leave in the morning. I don't want to stay anywhere too long."

"There are still fifteen tributes left. Can you believe that? It makes it seem impossible to win."

"You can't think of the other tributes as numbers, Niels. Half of them don't stand a chance. Jango, Desdemona, Dara, Iskandar. See? Then you're already down to eleven tributes."

"That's still too many." I sip my coffee absently and stare at the night through the cafeteria windows.

"We'll be fine if we just keep moving," Laciel repeats. "Now stop drinking coffee. Get some sleep."

She stands up and disappears into the women's bathroom. I contemplate where to sleep. Nowhere seems comfortable.

As I dump my coffee into the trash, a shadow passes by the window. I'm a little worried until I realize it's Jango.

Then I'm terrified.

I duck under a table and wait for the shadow to leave. It doesn't. I fall asleep waiting.

**Dara, 12**

Dolly said she'd be back in a few minutes.

That was twelve hours ago.

Finally, she returns.

"Sorry," she says breathlessly. "I've been all over the arena. I know where everything is now. This is great, Dara. We have a much greater chance of surviving now!"

"They took her!" I cry.

That's what of my talents. Did you know that? I can cry on command. I'm really good at it, too.

"Desdemona? Who took her?"

Hmm. I could tell the truth: it was the Careers. But Katerina is too feisty; she wouldn't go down easily. And Avenaye and Iskandar are weaklings. They have no courage. They'd be no fun to torture. Who would be fun to torture?

Desdemona. But they probably killed her.

Alise. She's scary as all hell. It would be a blast to pull her limbs off, one by one. Even without any legs, I bet she'd still try to run away.

Abe. She can't scream, which is a bit of a turn-off. But she's tough. Strong and silent. When I catch her, I'm going to break her.

Daniel. I will break Abe in front of Daniel. All the more fun.

I would have preferred to break Madelyn in front of Jango, but apparently someone beat me to it. Oh, well. Daniel and Abe will do.

"It was Alise!" I cry. "Daniel and Abe were with her. They came and took Desdemona away!"

"Where did they take her?" Dolly asks immediately, fire in her eyes.

"I don't know! I was scared, so I hid in the bushes!"

"It's okay, Dara," Dolly assures me. "We'll find her. And then we'll kill whoever took her."

Brilliant.

**Dolly, 16**

Something about Dara's story doesn't add up.

I understand Daniel allying with Abe. But where does Alise fit into that equation? She's a loner, through and through.

And why take Desdemona? Why not kill her, right here, right now? Her face wasn't in the sky, so they didn't kill her later, either. Did she get away? No, she would have come back. Then why is she still alive?

Something doesn't add up. But why would Dara lie?

**Avenaye, 17**

Katerina is gone.

"It's like cutting the head off of a chicken," I tell Iskandar. "Now the Careers are nothing but a chicken butt."

"...I don't think that's the expression," he says in confusion.

After I ran from the Haunted House in dignified terror, I found him outside, staring up at the sky. Something about watching clouds. I convinced him to follow me, and we decided to hang out at the bumper cars.

Coolest. Hideout. Ever.

"You know, maybe this isn't such a bad thing," I say, slamming my car into Iskandar's bumper. "Maybe Katerina was holding us back. You know what? I don't think she ever liked my bubbles."

"No!" Iskandar says in astonishment, backing his car up into the edge of the bumper arena. "Why wouldn't she?"

"It's beyond me, Izzy. And remember how she made you talk in English, even though you're clearly bilingual?" I slam my car into an empty car.

"Trilingual, actually. I also speak Wookie."

"No way! See? We're already bringing out new talents that will take us to the top. Katerina would never have let you speak Wookie."

"Probably not. She didn't look like a Star Wars fan."

"Well, that's her problem right there."

"What talents was she making you hide?" Iskandar is still stuck against the edge of the arena. He keeps pressing the reverse pedal, evidently mistaking it for the gas pedal.

"Well, I never told you guys, because I thought she would say it was stupid... Oh, never mind. It probably _is_ stupid."

"No, Avenaye! Don't shortchange yourself! Katerina didn't know anything."

"Okay... Just promise you won't laugh?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"I'm a really good yodeler."

"Avenaye... that's amazing! This is so great... I mean, imagine what we could use that for! See? She _was_ holding us back!"

"You're right. We're better off without her, Kandy. Think of all the things we'll accomplish now! This is the start of a bright new day. I have a really good feeling about this, Izzy."

But when I look back to his car, he's already fallen asleep. That's fine. It's not like Katerina's here to tell us we have to stay awake all night. We can do whatever we want, _whenever _we want. In fact, you wanna know the first rule of the New Careers?

Boys rule, girls drool.

**Careers: (Location - Bumper Cars)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

Dara, 12, District 10

**Alliance Two: (Location - Cafeteria)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

**Alliance Four: (Location - Unknown)**

Abe, 16, District 7

Daniel, 17, District 7

**Loner: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Jango, 17, District 5

**Kidnapper and Hostage: (Location - Princess Castle)**

Osmium, 16, District 6

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Locations Unknown:**

Desdemona, 13, District 8


	12. The Dragon's Keep

**Jango, 17**

I need to know who killed my angel.

I wait the night out by the cafeteria. As soon as the sun rises, I set out to catch a killer. There are two boys at the bumper cars. I don't remember their names, but they look friendly.

"Hey," I call from the edge of the bumper arena. "Do you guys think you could help me real quick?"

They look unsurely at each other. The tall boy with a bottle of bubbles sticking out of his pocket drives his car over to me.

"You need a lift?" he asks.

"No, but thank you. I was wondering if you knew who killed Madelyn."

"Madelyn?" bubble boy repeats. He turns to his friend. "Hey, Izzy, you know who killed Madelyn? This guy, who's super nice, by the way, he's looking for the guy who killed her."

Izzy pulls his car up beside the bubble boy's.

"You know, Avenaye, I was in the Haunted House when it happened," Izzy says.

"You don't say," Avenaye says, thoroughly intrigued.

"Well, yes, I did say that. I was in the Haunted House, and I was walking down the hallway. And nothing happened in that hallway. And then I got to the end of the next hallway... and I had to choose between turning left or turning right. So, I turned right, but that ended up being no good, so I walked back and turned left."

"You're a lovely story teller," Avenaye comments, completely entranced in the story, resting his head in his hands.

"Right, so then I walked back that other way, and I heard someone screaming. And it was Madelyn, so I looked in the room, and Abe was killing her. And then I left, but before I left I saw Daniel in the room with Abe. So they're definitely allying together."

"They _should_ be allies, they make such a cute couple."

"I know, wouldn't they make the most adorable babies?"

"Like, totally!"

"So Abe killed Madelyn?" I confirm, anger building in my gut.

"Definitely," Izzy says. "She was slamming Madelyn's head against the floor over and over and over again."

"Thanks for all your help."

"No problem."

"It was our pleasure," Avenaye adds. "You're a lovely conversationalist."

"And such strong facial features."

"Just a _delightful_ little guy."

As I walk away, I can hear them starting their bumper cars once more and continuing to comment to each other.

If Abe is allied with Daniel, I don't want to take them on my own. I can't win. And I need to win. For Madelyn. For my angel. My light. I will avenge her death.

But who could help me take them down? Not Laciel and Niels. They aren't the revenge type. Avenaye and Iskandar are lovely people, but they aren't right for this job. I need someone twisted. Someone sick. Someone animal.

I need Alise.

**Alise, 14**

"Welcome to the funhouse," I cackle as a shadow appears on the first floor.

"Alise? It's Jango. I have an offer for you."

"I'm listening," I sing.

"I want you to help me kill someone."

"...You have my attention."

"How do you feel about Daniel and Abe?"

"How do I feel about them? They didn't want to play in the House of Mirrors with me. Abe was playing, but Daniel came in and took her out. He's a real party pooper. He cheated me out of a kill. Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater."

"Abe killed Madelyn."

"Really?" I slip down the circular slide on my stomach and stop at the bottom. Resting my elbows on the slide before me, I place my head in my hands; I cock my head to the side and stare at Jango, pouting out my lower lip. "Boo-hoo. Wasn't she your girlfriend?"

"More or less..."

"And meany-pants Abe killed her? That's a no-no. Someone needs to punish Abe."

"Exactly."

"Tell you what. We can work together. Let's go give them a good spanking. They've been naughty."

"That's all I'm asking for."

**Daniel, 17**

I didn't know.

I didn't know she would be upset about it. I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted it. I wanted it so badly that I was willing to hurt her for it.

_Rapist._

The word hisses at me from every shadow, surprises me around every corner. Is that really what I've become? I look at Abe, and all I can think is: _I raped you._

This isn't who I am. I don't hurt girls. I don't hurt _anyone_. I saved Abe from those bullies. I saved her. She saved me from Madelyn. We need each other. Something is making me hurt her, and I can't stop it. I try.

I try so hard.

"Abe," I begin, placing my hand gently on her shoulder as we walk down the fairground.

She spins around, grabs my face, and places her lips squarely on mine.

**Abe, 16**

I kiss him. I kiss him hard. I make it hurt. Then I back him up; I slam him against the nearest building. I rip at his neck until his skin peels off under my nails. I make him feel the hurt.

I make him feel the way he made me feel.

"Abe, stop it!" he orders, shoving me away. "You're hurting me!"

I stare at him, waiting for him to catch the irony. When he does, his face pales.

"Abe, I'm so sorry. Please, you have to forgive me. _Please_."

He reaches for me and I allow him to hug me. Because I feel so alone. Because I want someone to touch me. To love me. To appreciate me.

I want someone, just once in my life, to say: Hey, Abe, I'm glad you were born. I'm so happy you're in my life. What would I do without you?

"Don't leave me, Abe," Daniel whispers, burying his face in my hair. "Please don't leave me. Stay with me."

I hug him back. I want to use words to promise him I'll stay, but this is the best I can do.

This has always been the best I can do.

The problem is that it's never enough.

**Osmium, 17**

"Stay up there, my pretty!" I call up the steps.

The Princess lives in the tower. She must stay there until Prince Charming comes. Then he gets to rape her. Then he takes her on his horse and they ride away. She escapes my clutches to become a prisoner to someone else.

Happily never after.

That's how true love works.

"Osmium!" she shrieks.

I know now who she is calling. I am not Osmium. I am the Dragon. I am the Dragon who lives in the castle that hides the Princess that's too pretty for this ugly world.

I am the gatekeeper.

"Let me go!"

She doesn't understand. I'm doing this for her own good.

"You'll never get away with this!"

But she doesn't understand.

I already have.

**Daniel, 17**

Someone is riding the bumper cars. Abe hears their voices and immediately heads for them, ready to take them out. I hold her back; we can't take them. Not now. We need to hide. Regroup. Lick our wounds in safety.

Learn to stop hurting each other.

"Abe, wait," I command. "Let's go there." I point to the princess castle. Abe rolls her eyes, but follows me.

There is a tiny moat surrounding the castle. We enter through a plastic drawbridge, and step into the bottom half of the exhibit, which is basically just a big pink room. In the corner is a winding staircase that leads to a tower. That's about it.

"Who dares enter my castle!" someone screeches.

As I watch in horror, a beast comes slithering out on the floor, hissing and sticking it's tongue out grotesquely. The beast lifts its head.

"Osmium?" I ask in alarm. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Immediately, he scrambles off the floor.

"Everything is fine," he hurriedly assures us. "Just dandy. Can I get you something to drink? Then you can be on your way."

"Osmium, we want to hide here with you. It's safe in here."

"You need to leave." A strange darkness crosses his face.

"...Osmium, what's going on?"

The darkness lifts. "Nothing!" he says cheerily. "Just doing a little spring cleaning. I'm so embarrassed, look at all this clutter! Don't mind the mess. Make yourselves at home. I'll be back in a jiffy!"

He sprints off up the stairs, slamming the door behind him. A lock clicks.

Abe turns to look at me, eyebrows raised.

"Something isn't right in here," I murmur, wrapping my arm protectively around her shoulder.

**Osmium, 17**

The Prince came. He came barging in, sword swinging. Nearly took my head off. His horse stood beside him. Not a stallion. No, it was an ugly thing. An ugly, silent horse.

I was guarding my castle when they stormed it. He asked for Osmium. And that's when I remembered. I am Osmium. I am not a dragon.

The dragon lives inside of Osmium.

And so I hid my true form and presented myself as Osmium. The Prince likes Osmium. He thinks he is friends with Osmium. I ran back up to the tower and became the dragon again. I locked the Princess away. I told her to stay quiet. The Prince must find her. He must find her with no help from me, and then he must rape her. The only way to know if he is Prince Charming is to wait and see if he performs the task.

Wait and see. Wait and see. Wait and see, we will.

**Daniel, 17**

Osmium slithers out of the tower room. As he opens the door, a single scream escapes.

"_Help_!"

Osmium slams the door shut.

"Everything's okay," he assures us. "Just ignore that."

"Osmium, who's up there?" I demand.

"No one's up there. Just a television."

"God, Osmium. You scared the shit out of me. I thought you had a girl locked up in there." I laugh; what a stupid idea.

"Why would you think that?" Osmium asks, his face deathly serious.

"...Osmium?" I ask worriedly.

"Can I get you some tea?" he asks brightly, all darkness gone in an instant.

"...We're good."

"There's a couch in the back room, you two can sleep in there."

"Where do you sleep?"

"I sleep in the tower... But you are never to go up there._ Ever._"

"...Whatever you say."

"So, if you don't need anything else, I really have to get going. So many important things a homeowner has to keep track of in this day and age. If you need anything in the night, just shout for me... Seriously. Don't go up there."

"Thanks, Osmium."

He nods his head and disappears into his tower once again.

I take Abe's hand and lead her into the back room Osmium described. A single couch is squashed into a corner of a tiny room. I shut the door behind us and set to work opening the mattress. Who the hell puts a pull-out couch in the back room of a princess castle?

And who the hell thinks that sleeping in a princess castle makes him a homeowner?

Abe hesitates at the edge of the bed, obviously remembering the last time we were in a bed together. This morning. When I raped her.

"Abe, you have my word," I tell her gently. "What happened this morning was a mistake. It'll never happen again."

She slides under the covers and I join her. She stares into my eyes, evidently entranced by them.

"Can you believe him?" I chuckle. "What the hell has gotten into him?"

_Something is wrong_, she signs. _He's acting strange._

"...What about that scream? I mean, that was definitely a TV, right? Because I know he said it was, but... I don't know, it just sounded... _familiar."_

Suddenly, there's a dull thump above us.

"Stop moving!" someone hisses.

Abe turns to me, a look of astonishment on her face.

"It's just the TV," I assure her.

She shakes her head. _Something else_, she signs.

"Abe, at night, everything seems much scarier than it actually is. Osmium's just listening to the TV up there. That's all."

She shakes her head again. But I don't listen.

No one ever listens to Abe.

**Laciel, 18**

I spend every moment wondering what Arthur must be thinking.

Is he terrified? Probably. But does he spend every waking moment feeling unbelievably alone, the way I do? I can only hope not.

What am I without Arthur? He's sensitive and thoughtful; everything I'm not. I'm bossy and demanding. We are each one half of a whole, and I miss my blacksmith boy.

_Fiance. _The word soothes me, like a tender hug. As soon as I come home, I'm going to marry him. I'm going to hug him like I'll never let him go and -

"Laciel?"

Jumping up in alarm, completely destroying my blanket of dish towels, I find Niels in front of me.

"God, Niels," I sigh. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry. I was just thinking about how you wanted us to leave the cafeteria. Last time we left, we did it while it was still dark. I let you get some sleep, then I thought I should wake you since you like traveling in the dark."

I'm a little stunned. No one has ever taken direction so well from me. Usually my bossy attitude yields different results, but Niels seems to be an excellent follower. Thoughtful, too.

He's a good kid.

"That was a good idea, Niels. You're pretty smart, you know that? Thanks for waking me up. Let's head out."

I brush past him and out the cafeteria door. He scurries after me like a puppy. No matter how much I quicken my walk, he always managed to remain exactly one step behind me.

Okay, that could get pretty annoying pretty fast.

**Abe, 16**

He puts his arm over me and whispers in my ear.

"I'll protect you. Don't worry."

Inside I am fuming.

I don't need protection, and I certainly don't need it from Daniel. One look at my face will tell you what a fine job he's done protecting me so far. No, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself.

But something, or someone, is in that room upstairs. There's something not right about Osmium.

People should not act like that.

I wait until Daniel's fallen asleep. Once he has, I slip out from under the covers and glide out the back door. Once outside, I take a rock from the ground and throw it against the tower window. The glass shatters.

Ducking back inside, I press myself against the wall. When Osmium comes running down the steps, he flies right past me in the dark. He's outside in an instant, frantically scurrying about to find the vandal. Daniel, awakened by the shattering glass, steps out of the back room. Ignoring him, I climb the steps to the tower and click the door open.

"Abe!" Daniel whispers fiercely. "Osmium said to stay downstairs! Who knows what he'll do if he finds us up there?"

I ignore him and step into the room. It's unbelievably dark. A sliver of light coming from the window hits the bed, and I see a figure squirming in it. Ropes tie the creature to the bedpost.

It isn't until I'm directly beside the bed that I understand this is a human. Katerina.

"Shit," Daniel murmurs, his fist coming up to his mouth in shocked fear. "What the hell, Osmium..."

"Help me," Katerina murmurs.

"That's funny," an eerie voice says. "I thought I specifically told you _not_ to come up here."

I spin around in alarm and find Osmium standing in the doorway. Damn it! I forgot to listen for him.

"Why don't you go back downstairs?" Osmium says quietly. "Everything's fine up here."

"We were just on our way down," Daniel murmurs, taking my arm and leading me down the steps.

As we hurry into the back room, I catch a glimpse of Osmium backing into the dark tower room, his beady, glowing eyes watching us through the darkness.

**Daniel, 17**

What the _hell_ was that?

Osmium is keeping a girl locked up in the tower. My mind tells my body that my eyes are playing tricks on me. That wasn't possible. Those kinds of things just _don't_ happen.

Nobody's that twisted.

Although, by the looks of it, it's not like he's raped her.

I immediately curse myself; my raping Abe is way less evil than Osmium keeping Katerina locked away in a tower.

...Isn't it?

On the one hand, Katerina is a Career. She's evil in her own way. So does that give Osmium the right to lock her away? Or should nobody have that right? And if I stand by and let this happen, am I guilty, too?

Does anyone have the right to abuse women the way Osmium and I have? Immediately, I correct myself. _I_ haven't abused anyone. Osmium's the villain here, not me. Even if I did hit Abe. I hit her with good intentions, and that makes it okay. Right?

What have I become?

**Desdemona, 13**

Run.

Run as fast as my legs can carry me. Get out of here. Get away from them.

Run.

I fly under a sign that says 'Sea World.' Skidding to a stop beside a gigantic pool, I tell myself that here is safe. Dara is nowhere nearby. The Careers let me go. I am safe now.

I need to find Dolly and warn her.

A humongous splash soaks me, and as I clear my wet eyes I find myself face-to-face with a large, black and white animal. I scream and fall backward, scrambling on the ground.

"Who's there?" someone shouts. I struggle to regain my footing, but before I can so much as stand up, Remi comes out from around a corner. "Desdemona? Are you okay?" He offers me a hand. Is it a trap? I take it, and he helps me up. "Are you alone?"

Will he hurt me if I say I'm alone? He seems nice, so I ignore the warning signs in my head and nod.

"You don't have any allies?"

"I did. Not anymore."

"Well, it's just me and Bid over here, if you'd like to join us."

He smiles at me, so I nod. Immediately, I feel much safer.

"This is the killer whale exhibit," he explains. "They scare the living daylights out of me. They look like they could tear someone to bits. Bidzill's over by the penguin exhibit. They're much cuter."

He takes my hand and leads me deeper into Sea World, passing jellyfish, seals, and a frightening tank of sharks. The moment I see it, I know: someone's going to fall in the shark tank before these Games are over.

"Who's the kid?" Bidzill asks. He's sitting inside the penguin exhibit, calmly watching the creatures walk around.

"Desdemona," Remi says.

"Great idea, Remi." Bidzill says sarcastically. "Let's collect all the strays."

"If you don't like it, you can leave."

"You're a very cold person, you know that?"

"What's our next move, Bid?"

"We need to save Dolly," I pipe up. I'm terrified of speaking in front of these two strong, older boys, when they're clearly the leaders. But I'll face my fears for Dolly.

"Save Dolly?" Remi asks in confusion.

"Dara's trying to kill her."

"_Dara_?" Bidzill laughs. "He's, what, two feet tall? Dolly is huge! I don't think she'll have a problem."

"Dara killed Pawl. And he tried to kill me. Now he's after Dolly, and if we don't warn her-" I feel tears sting my eyes, and have to stop speaking before a sob escapes.

"Hey," Remi says softly, squatting down to my level. "It's gonna be okay, Des. We're gonna look for Dolly, I promise." He squeezes my arms assuringly before standing up and turning to Bidzill. "You wanna stay here with Des, or go look for Dolly?"

"Are you serious?" Bidzill asks in alarm. "You want me to risk my life out there looking for _Dolly?_"

"Someone's gotta do it."

"_No,_ someone does _not_ have to do it, you're just saying that because-"

"You want to go looking for some action, or do you want to stay here and babysit? You're choice, Bid."

"Oh, for the love of Pete... Yes, fine, sure, I'll go look for Dolly! Geez, Louise." He groans as he stands up and brushes himself off. "I'm gonna go do it, Rem. But I want you to know that I'm not happy about it."

"I wouldn't ask you to be."

"Hey, kid," Bidzill asks me. "Where is Dolly, anyway?"

"She and Dara were in the arcade," I say shyly.

"This is ridiculous," he mumbles to himself as he saunters out of Sea World. "All for a little kid I just met... 'Cause Remi always has to be the hero... Should have stayed with Daniel... Have to go walking around the arena... _Hate_ amusement parks..."**...**

**Careers: (Location - Bumper Cars)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

Dara, 12, District 10

**Alliance Two: (Location - Cafeteria)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

Desdemona, 13, District 8

**Alliance Four: (Location - Princess Castle)**

Abe, 16, District 7

Daniel, 17, District 7

**Alliance Five: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

Jango, 17, District 5

**Kidnapper and Hostage: (Location - Princess Castle)**

Osmium, 16, District 6

Katerina, 17, District 2


	13. Slaying the Dragons

**Daniel, 17**

Osmium is a monster.

I am not a monster.

...Am I?

What have I done? Who _am_ I? I don't even know anymore. I get out from under the covers and stare at myself in a cracked mirror. This is what a monster looks like.

Abe stands up, rubbing her eyes tiredly, and walks up behind me. She puts her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around me.

"Who am I?" I ask her quietly.

_You're Daniel,_ she signs simply.

"But who is Daniel?"

_Whoever you want him to be._

I turn to her and kiss her. Gently this time, the way she deserves. I pull away slowly.

"I'm gonna take a walk," I tell her. "I need to clear my head."

She nods and goes back to bed. I slip my shoes on and head out the door.

Crossing the moat in the darkness, nothing but the moon guiding my way, I assure myself that I'm a better man than Osmium. I didn't lock Abe away in a tower. I love Abe. Osmium doesn't even _know_ Katerina. Osmium is scum.

Someone shouts through the darkness, and I immediately duck into the closest building, fearful of being seen. It's pitch-black. Suddenly, a screen lights up. I'm in a movie theater. On the screen is a shot of me on a bed. Abe is next to me. We're kissing each other gently; I over, and suddenly I'm on top of her. My hand reaches under her shirt. I try to pull her shirt off.

She stops my hand, and shame begins to swirl inside my stomach. On the screen I try to lift her shirt again, more forcefully this time. She stops me._ "Let me do this."_

Her shirt comes off, then her pants. Her bra and her underwear. My clothes disappear as well.

And then I watch myself rape her.

She shakes her head, begging me to stop, but I ignore her. She turns her head away as I continue to do it; tears drip slowly down her face. She closes her eyes.

_Monster_.

"Turn it off!" I shout.

Give me another chance.

A thought trickles through my mind as I fall to my knees in disbelief at the monster I've turned into. _This is what Osmium will do to Katerina._

Abe and I are vampires. We've seen the ugliness that lies at the heart of the human soul, and it killed us. We are the walking dead. I infected Abe when I forced my way inside of her; I turned her into one of us. I forced her to look at the ugliness, at the hurt inside of me. How do I fix it?

I need to put the hurt inside of someone else. Let the vampiric blood flow out of me and into someone else. It's the only cure.

I have to rape Katerina.

Then she will be the vampire. I'll be human again.

It's the only way.

I am crossing the moat. I am climbing the steps. I am kicking the tower door in.

The hurt tells me to rape her. The vampire inside of me tells me I need to do this.

But Daniel tells me I can't. And at the end of the day, I am not a monster. I am not a vampire. I am not the hurt.

I am Daniel.

And who is Daniel?

_Whoever you want him to be._

I want him to be strong. I want him to be kind. I want him to be good.

Osmium is going to hurt Katerina. He might not think he's going to, but he will. I know how easily it can happen.

Who do I listen to? Do I listen to the vampire, and rape Katerina? Or do I listen to Daniel, listen to what Abe is telling me? It's achingly hard to ignore the voice that tells me to rape Katerina, but I do it. I listen to Abe instead.

Because vampires don't exist. I was not bitten. I cannot blame it on the blood that flows through my veins, or the hurt that roars up inside of me.

The hurt does not control me. I control the hurt. I _create_ it when I beat Abe bloody, when I rape her and throw her into glass display cases. I've been creating the hurt from the very beginning.

I'm the one who hurt Abe. Me and only me. No one else. Just Daniel.

And I'll be damned if I'm going to let Osmium do the same to Katerina.

Osmium stands up from where he was sleeping on the floor; he comes to me in alarm, and I know he's going to try to assure me that everything is okay and I need to go back downstairs. But everything is not okay. And he realizes that when he sees the axe in my hand.

"The Prince must slay the Dragon," he murmurs sadly.

"You're done hurting women, you fucker," I spit.

But I am not talking to Osmium. I am talking to myself.

I swing the axe into his head; it caves in immediately. Like kicking a pumpkin. I pull out the axe and strike him again. And again, and again, and again.

"Help me," Katerina whimpers from the bed.

The cannon fired moments ago, but that didn't stop me from mutilating Osmium. Only Katerina's sad little voice could stop me. I'm too late, once again.

She's already a vampire. I can hear it in her voice. The walking dead; she's finally joined the rest of us.

I drop the axe into Osmium's stomach and walk slowly to Katerina's bed. I reach across her body to untie her hands from the bedpost.

I will free her. And then I will ask Abe to forgive me.

Because that is the only way that I will ever be able to forgive myself.

**Abe, 16**

I hear a crash.

My legs fly up the steps like lightning. I step into the forbidden tower and walk in on a scene of complete disarray.

Osmium lies on the floor, his head caved in and an axe sticking out of his stomach. Daniel is on top of Katerina.

He's raping her, too.

Something shatters in my heart. He promised me. No more hurting. He was going to be Daniel again. We loved each other.

But here he is, the filthy sinner, raping Katerina. Well, he's not going to get away with it this time.

I grab him by the back of his shirt; I spin him around and throw him to the ground. I climb on top of him, pinning him to the floor, and lift the axe from Osmium's stomach. Daniel looks at me with wide eyes, but there is no fear in them. There is only peace. This is justice.

This was always how it was going to end.

"Forgive me," Daniel whispers pleadingly, a single tear escaping his eye and slipping down his face.

I shake my head, tears slipping down my own face. _No_.

I press the axe into his neck; put all of my weight on it so that it sinks all the way through. There is a dull thud as it hits the ground on the other side of Daniel's neck. I stand up. I kick his head away, and listen to it tumble down the steps.

You're done hurting women, Daniel. No more.

"Abe," Katerina cries.

I approach her bed and hover over her body.

"Abe, he was saving me. He killed Osmium. He was untying me. _Daniel saved me_."

Aibileen Jude, you are a monster.

I killed Daniel. I didn't kill the monster that raped me. I didn't kill the monster that raped Katerina. I just killed Daniel.

My Daniel.

I want to cry out loud. I want the world to hear my sobs. How comforting that would be. Put all of my pain out into the air so that it didn't have to live inside of me anymore.

"Are you going to untie me? Or are you going to let me die here? I wouldn't blame you if you left me here, Abe. I'm so sorry I said those things to you during training. I misjudged you, okay? I didn't know what it was like to be trapped inside of yourself. But I do now, Abe, and I'm so... I'm so sorry that you have to live this way every day. You don't deserve that. No one does."

I reach up. Slowly, ever so slowly, I untie Katerina from the bedposts. She rubs her wrists. And then she comes at me.

In that split second, I know she's going to kill me. That's what you get for trusting people, Abe. But she hugs me instead. And it feels good. I don't feel so utterly and hopelessly alone anymore.

"Thank you," she says tearfully. Then she wipes her face and returns to her usual demeanor: all business. "I'll leave first. You leave ten minutes after me."

She walks away, but stops at the door, turning back to look at me.

"And, Abe?"

I raise my head to look at her.

"If you ever need me, start a fire. I'll be there. I've got your back."

And then she walks out of my life.

I want to tell her thank you. But that's okay.

I'm used to being a safe harbor for all of the words that go unsaid.

**Careers: (Location - Bumper Cars)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

**Alliance One: (Location - Arcade)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

Dara, 12, District 10

**Alliance Two: (Location - Cafeteria)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Haunted House)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

Desdemona, 13, District 8

**Alliance Four: (Location - House of Mirrors)**

Alise, 14, District 3

Jango, 17, District 5

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Loner: (Location - Princess Castle)**

Abe, 16, District 7


	14. Jango's Dance

**Avenaye, 17**

I'm getting super good at parallel parking in my bumper car when Izzy suddenly jumps out of his own car.

"I'm getting bored," he whines.

I zoom my car up next to him. The bumper cars are losing their touch for me, too. I'm gazing around the amusement park, looking for more fun rides, when Katerina goes flying by. She glances at us, but doesn't even bother to stop. She looks like she's on a mission, and she doesn't have time for our shenanigans anymore. A few moments later, Abe comes walking down the fairground.

My instincts tell me to hide immediately. I was okay goofing off with Iskandar when no one threatening was near, but now's the time to be serious; Abe could kill us with one hand tied behind her back.

"Iskandar, get down!" I hiss, jumping out of my car and crouching behind it.

"Hey, have you seen any fun rides?" he calls to Abe.

Shit! I commando-crawl along the bumper arena until I reach the back end. I'll just have to wait a few moments until Abe turns her head; the second she's not looking, I'll jump out of the arena and take off. I hate to leave Iskandar, but what can you do? He called out to Abe, which is like ringing death's doorbell.

Abe approaches the bumper arena with deliberate, measured steps. She's a fighter through and through. The arena is as high off the ground as my waist, and I had to scramble ungracefully to get on top of it; Abe simply jumps up, landing on both feet at the same time. How did she do that? I flatten myself against the ground, hoping she won't notice me lying on the floor. My only other option would be to move to a better hiding place, but she'd certainly see me then.

She tightens the boxing tape on her right hand with her teeth in a menacing fashion; she reminds me of a rabid pit bull. My heart thuds fearfully against my chest and a light sweat breaks out on my forehead. I fooled around in the Games, and this is what it got me.

And then, in the scariest moment of my entire life, she turns her head to the left and those tiger eyes of hers lock onto my own.

In an instant, I'm on my feet, jumping out of the bumper arena and scrambling away. But Abe foresaw this, and she's already chasing me down. Within a few moments, she's tackling me painfully to the ground; I roll away from her and try to stand up, but she grabs my foot and drags me toward her. I stare up at her in fear, and watch as she points to herself, to me, and then to Avenaye. Then she gives me a questioning thumbs-up, her eyebrows raised.

"Are you gonna kill us?" I ask in fear.

She shakes her head firmly.

"...You wanna be allies?"

She nods. Offering her hand, she helps me up. I brush myself off indignantly and she spits into her hand, offering it to me to shake. I look to Iskandar, but he's already distracted himself with picking some lint off his shirt. Reluctantly, I spit into my own hand and shake Abe's. Deal officially sealed.

"...Are you seriously not gonna kill us?" I ask again, because I'm far from convinced.

With a smile, she shakes her head vehemently.

"No, you're not gonna kill us? Or no, you're not _not_ gonna kill us?"

She watches me for a moment before shrugging. An unbelievable fear is unleashed in my body. And then she smiles.

I really don't like this chick.

**Iskandar, 18**

We're in the bouncy bounce. Abe didn't understand why we chose it, but after a moment's consideration, she decided to join us inside. We bounce repeatedly into the air; up, then down. Up, then down.

"So, what's our next move?" Avenaye asks.

Up.

"I wanna play that squirt gun game," I tell him.

Down.

"We're not doing that."

Up.

"Why not?" I whine. "I really want to. Come on, _please?_ Please, please, please, please, please? I want it, I want it, I want it!"

Avenaye glances sideways at Abe. "Not now," he whispers to me forcefully.

"But..." I feel tears sting my eyes. _"I want to play with the squirt guns!"_

"Later, Izzy," he hisses. "I promise we'll do it later. But not now."

Down.

Abe stops jumping for a moment and presses her face against the mesh walls, staring intently at something. Avenaye takes the opportunity to push me to the other side of the bouncy house and have a hushed conversation.

"We need to ditch her," he whispers.

"Why?" I ask loudly.

"Shh! Because she doesn't say _anything._ I mean, what kind of a mind game is that?"

"I don't think it's a mind game..."

"She freaks me out!"

Suddenly, Abe slips out of the bouncy bounce. She waves frantically for us to follow. Avenaye gives me a worried look before following her out of the bouncy bounce; I join them outside. Abe ducks behind a snack stand and points to the arcade. Bidzill is standing outside of it, looking like he's trying to work up the courage to go in.

"We should ask him if he wants to play with us," I whisper to Avenaye.

"No!" he hisses. "Iskandar, stay down! Don't you dare open your mouth!"

"But we could have a play date..."

"Not with Bidzill!"

"Why not?"

"Because... he's a bully, that's why."

"Oh."

Avenaye and Abe keep staring at Bidzill, and I get really bored. I don't know what's so interesting about him. That's when I notice the soda machine inside the snack stand. I feel a little thirsty; if I could just reach... With a thud, I accidentally knock the paper plates off of the counter. They spill all over the ground and one rolls against Bidzill's foot. He turns immediately.

"Hey!" he shouts, lunging toward me.

I feel Iskandar grab my shirt and then he's dragging me away. I scramble forward and follow Iskandar and Abe. Bidzill seems to see that we're already too far ahead of him, and he's not going to catch us. Angrily, he stops chasing us and simply watches us go.

Glancing back ahead of me, I suddenly find myself alone. Where did they go? And then Avenaye grabs my arm and yanks me into some kind of gigantic cave, directly under an exciting sign that makes me smile.

_Laser Tag._

**Laciel, 18**

Luke sends me walkie-talkies.

As soon as I open the package, I give out a little shout of joy. First of all, who doesn't feel like a spy when they use these babies? Second, now Niels and I can separate and still be in touch with each other.

Recon mission.

"Niels!" I shout. He comes running into the caravan I'm sitting in.

"You needed something?" he asks calmly. I glance up at him to find a snake on his shoulders.

"Snake!" I scream, scrambling backwards. He laughs happily and strokes the scaly thing.

"Isn't it pretty?" he asks with a smile.

"Take it off! You're such a child, Niels."

He laughs and lifts the snake from his shoulders, placing it gently on the couch.

"Gross," I whine. "Can't you put it back where you found it?"

"The snake charmer's caravan is filled with snakes. I could put this one back, but then I might not be able to resist picking up another one..."

"Disgusting. What other caravans have you been in?"

"The bearded lady's, the contortionist's, the sword swallower's... Whose is this?"

"I don't know. There's nothing special about it."

"Oh, awesome..." He crouches over a table. "Check it out!"

He lifts his palm; a tiny flea sits in it.

"Niels!" I scream.

"It's the flea circus!" he says happily.

"_Fleas_?" I fling the door open and step out of the caravan. "That's _nasty._"

Niels follows me outside, still laughing.

"I called you because my mentor sent me walkie-talkies," I tell him.

"Cool! Think about all the things we could do with these!"

"Exactly. I think we should do a little recon, figure out where all the other tributes are, stuff like that."

"Sounds good. Oh, but check this out." I watch him expectantly, and he opens his mouth. Before I can stop him, he's holding a lit flame in front of him, and then he's breathing fire.

"Shit!" I scream.

He cackles happily. "The fire breather's caravan is over there. Isn't it awesome?"

"You scared the shit out of me!" I accuse with a smile, shoving him good-naturedly. "You're an ass."

"A _fire-breathing_ ass," he corrects.

I roll my eyes and toss him a walkie-talkie. He gives me a two-fingered salute and heads off in the direction of the bumper cars. I smile and head toward a large sign that reads _'Sea World.'_

**Dolly, 16**

Dara is several paces ahead of me, skipping happily down the fairground as we search for Desdemona. We pass the drop tower and the log ride, and I pause as we approach a tall building. Wires extend from the top of the building to some place far in the distance.

"Maybe they took her up there," Dara suggests, running up the steps.

"Dara!" I scold, following him up the steps. "Dara, we don't know if it's safe!"

"I'm sure it is!" he sings as he approaches the top. We both step out of the staircase and into what looks like a large garage. Where the garage door should be is nothing. Just wires, extending out into the sky.

We're in the sky ride. It reminds me of a ski lift, and I immediately wonder how dangerously high we are. That's when I see two figures standing by one of the lifts, arguing. I snatch Dara and drag him behind the farthest lift, shushing him with my finger.

"I'm telling you," Alise is saying. "If we ride this thing, we'll be able to see the entire arena. We'll know exactly where Daniel and Abe are."

"And _I'm _telling _you_ that I don't want to fall to my death," Jango argues.

"Don't be a baby! Are you seriously afraid of heights?"

"Just a little bit..."

"We're doing this for Madelyn. I _thought_ you loved her, but I guess you don't. Whatever. If you don't care that Abe cracked Madelyn's head open, then I guess we don't have to take the sky ride..."

"...Turn this thing on. I'm riding it."

"Hell, yeah! Let's go, baby!"

Alise excitedly pulls a lever and the lifts begin to move on the wires. The lift I've been hiding behind moves forward, leaving me completely exposed. I turn to Dara, but he's gone.

Where did he go?

"Alise!" Jango screams. Dara is in their lift with them. Alise immediately jumps out of the lift and onto the platform, but Jango doesn't have time to get out; he's trapped with Dara.

The lift leaves the platform, and for Jango to get out now would mean falling to his death.

"Dara!" I shout. What will Jango do to him? He's just a kid. He can't defend himself.

Why on earth did he climb in the lift with them? I should have been paying more attention to him!

"Let go of me!" Jango screams. Dara has fingers in Jango's eyes.

Good, he's defending himself. Maybe Jango won't take him down after all.

But Jango never even reached for Dara. So he isn't really defending himself at all. He's just attacking.

And when did he become so vicious?

It's probably just because he's so afraid. At least, I hope it is.

Their lift moves forward at an agonizingly slow pace, and that's when Alise jumps into the lift behind the boys' lift. Her lift leaves the garage as well. I watch, helpless, as everyone gets farther and farther away from me.

Jango throws Dara off of him and back onto the seat. They wrestle for a moment, and then, all of a sudden, Jango slips right out of the lift.

He's dangling by his right hand, barely holding on.

"Dara!" Jango screams. "Lift me up! Don't let me fall! You can kill me on the lift, but please don't let me fall!" He's crying now, tears pouring out as he stares at the ground, so very, very far below. "I don't want to fall! Help me!"

Dara is a nice kid; he's probably terrified on that lift right now. I wish I was there to help him, but it looks like he's brave enough to help himself. He's lifting his hand down to help Jango. Jango grabs Dara's hand with his left hand, then releases his right hand from the lift to hold onto Dara's hand with both of his own hands.

Dara's going to pull him up. I sigh in relief. As much as I'd like Jango to die, to eliminate any more competition, I don't want to see him fall to his death. That would be horrific.

"Guess what?" Dara asks Jango.

What is he doing? Lift Jango up!

"What?" Jango cries in absolute horror.

"You're going to die."

With that, Dara releases Jango's hand.

**Alise, 14**

It's a long fall.

Jango soars toward the ground, his arms and legs flailing all the way. He's like an angel falling from heaven. It's almost peaceful, the way he gracefully floats through the air. It seems to take forever, and then Jango, tiny from all the way up here, suddenly stops moving. His broken body simply lies there.

Today is turning out to be quite a fun day.

I clap generously, applauding Dara's excellent job. The trickery, the suspense, all leading up to the pivotal moment of letting go. Death is simply a dance; sometimes it's scary, and sometimes it's tough, but it's always beautiful.

"You're next," Dara tells me, a wide smile on his face.

"I think not," I tell him, smiling back. "Ladies first."

"Do you like to play games?" he asks me sinisterly.

"Who doesn't?"

"How about tag?"

I yank my whip out of my boot. With a flick of my wrist, the whip reaches across the air between our lifts and smacks Dara's cheek. An angry red line appears, and I relish at the blood that slowly drips out.

"You're it," I tell him.

"That's cheating," he says angrily.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire, Dara. There are no rules in our game. Cheating is encouraged."

"You wanna play it that way?" Something flashes in his eyes. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a knife. "This little piggy went to market." He cuts one of the wires holding our lifts up. "This little piggy went home." He cuts another wire.

"You'll cut us both down," I warn him.

But his lift reaches the platform. He steps out of it and grabs another wire. "This little piggy had roast beef." He cuts the wire. "This little piggy had none." He cuts the fourth wire, leaving only one more.

My lift creaks, leaning to the left. I grab onto the railing firmly.

"And this little piggy..." Dara grabs the last wire. "Cried wee, wee, wee... all the way home." And then he slices the only thing holding me aloft.

As the lift begins to fall, I jump.

**Dara, 12**

She's gone. She fell.

Tag. You're it, Alise.

I win.

I _always_ win.

And then her hand appears on the platform. Then her other hand. Then her head. She pulls herself up.

How dare she? She must have jumped from the lift and caught onto the underside of the platform. Who does she think she is?

"Get off my case, toilet face!" I taunt, shaking my butt at her as she climbs back onto the platform.

And then I run.

**Katerina, 17**

I find the most amazing attraction.

The circus animals.

Lions roar at me from behind cage bars; sequins wink at me from the decorations placed on the elephants' trunks. Horses whinny in their small stalls. Tigers pace as best they can in their tiny cages.

All I can think is, _how cruel_.

"I know how you feel," I tell the lions softly. "You're so beautiful. So noble, and proud. But they lock you away. Hold you hostage in here. You need to be free, don't you? No one deserves to be locked away."

They need to be released. But I can't; that would be unbelievably dangerous. As I tell myself this, my eyes fall on a sharp hook, covered in blood. Staring at the elephants, I find painful wounds, obviously from the hook, that are healing badly and obviously never attended to.

So that's how they train them.

Disgusting. Inhumane. No one deserves this.

In that instant I know what I have to do. Placing myself safely behind a wall of bars, I press a red button that reads 'Lions.' The doors lift, releasing the lions. They cautiously step out into their new lives of freedom. As I watch, they enter the tent where the Cornucopia rests. They pace around it before understanding that there is no ringmaster to beat them, to keep them contained in this small arena.

They shoot out of the tent and into the fairground.

Next, I release the horses. Then the tigers. Finally the elephants.

"Go on. You're free," I tell the animals sadly, for I know that I will never be.

**Deaths this chapter:**

_Jango Cage, 17, District 5_

**Alliance One: (Location - Bumper Cars)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Abe, 16, District 7

**Alliance Two: (Location - Separated)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Sea World)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

Desdemona, 13, District 8

**Loner: (Location - End of Sky Ride)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Animal Cages)**

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Loner: (Location - Beginning of Sky Ride)**

Dolly, 16, District 10

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Dara, 12, District 10


	15. Trick or Treat

**Luke, District 12 Mentor**

I sent Laciel the walkie-talkies so that she'd split up with Niels. The less time they spend together, the better.

"That was a dick move with the walkie-talkies, Luke," Rafael points out from where he sits with his feet up on the control panel and his arms behind his head.

"It was a good idea," Weston defends half-heartedly. It makes me feel better to know that he has my back, even when he doesn't believe in me. "Laciel and Niels can cover more ground now that they're separated."

"You really don't get it, do you?"

"Enlighten me, Raf."

"Luke only sent 'em the walkie-talkies 'cause he knows Laciel can take care of herself and he's hoping Niels can't."

"Oh, come on. Luke isn't trying to get anyone killed. He doesn't have it in him. Tell him, Luke."

For once, I'm glad Weston is blind. My slight blush and sheepish expression are going undetected.

"You're being ridiculous, Rafael," I say unconvincingly.

"So you'll be upset if your little walkie-talkie stunt gets Niels killed?" Rafael asks with an accusing lift of his eyebrow.

"Well... I mean, it wouldn't really be a _bad_ thing, would it?"

"Holy shit, man," Weston says. "You _do_ want Niels to die."

"I don't... I mean... It's not that I... Look, I want Laciel to win. Doesn't that mean I want everyone else to die?"

"You wanna handle this one, Weston, or should I?" Rafael asks.

"You'll just mess it up," Weston answers casually. "I'll handle it."

"Handle what?" I ask warily.

No one answers. Rafael clears his throat awkwardly.

"Look, I gotta go give a little squirt," he says, standing up and heading for the door.

"A little squirt?" Weston snorts. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I'm takin' a piss, man."

"And, what, it comes out in squirts? You don't piss right anymore, bro?" Weston snickers.

"You know damn well I've recently contracted a disease."

"You're not gonna get any sympathy for a disease you got from a hooker."

"Okay, fine, yes, it was transmitted to me sexually, you asshole. Are you happy?"

"I'm fairly happy, thanks for asking."

"Oh, and by the way, you should give your mom a call, 'cause she's probably got it, too."

"Why would my mom have gonorrhea?"

"Well, I'm about ninety-percent sure she was the one who gave it to me, West."

"Oh, that's very funny. You can laugh yourself all the way to the free clinic."

"Well, that was just insensitive."

"Good luck in the potty. I hope everything comes out okay, buddy."

Rafael mutters an inspired expletive as he slams the door behind him.

"What are you supposed to be telling me?" I ask Weston.

"I don't remember. What were we talking about?"

"I said I wanted Laciel to win, so that means I want everyone else to die."

"Right, right. See, you've got it completely wrong."

"You're not making any sense, Weston."

"Look, I know this is gonna be hard for you to hear, but you have to accept the fact that your sister isn't the only one in that arena, and she certainly isn't the only one who wants to come back out."

"Of course I've accepted that!"

"No, you haven't. You've acknowledged it. I know you Luke - you won't accept it until her body comes home in a bag."

I flinch. I wish I could say that I want to punch Weston, but I don't have it in me. I've never been the violent type. What I feel like doing is climbing back into my bed and curling up under the covers, where no light can touch me.

"I'm sorry, Luke," Weston continues. "But you've got to hear it. You don't want to kill Niels, and I'll tell you why. There are still twelve tributes in that arena, and I know for sure that you don't want half of them coming back. Dara would be a horrible Victor, and an even worse Mentor. Alise would probably be just as bad. You have to realize that whoever comes out of that arena will run into you, again and again. You'll never escape it. The Victor will be all over the news, all the time. They'll be sitting across from you in the Mentor's cafeteria. They'll coach _their_ tributes on the best way to kill _your_ tributes. Once someone wins, they're everywhere. Inescapable. So you want to be damn sure they're someone you can live with."

"What does this have to do with Niels?" I ask weakly. I've never thought of any of this before. Suddenly, being a Mentor is unbelievably overwhelming. And devastatingly sad. And pitifully pointless.

"No matter how much you hate him allying with your sister," Weston says gently. "Niels would be a good Victor. He's not a bad guy. But if he dies, you're just increasing the chance of Katerina winning. Or Dara. Or, God forbid, that bubble-blowing buffoon, Avenaye."

"...I don't understand."

"Luke, you're trying to kill all of the tributes your sister comes into contact with. If you keep doing this, the Games will end up in a face-off between Laciel and someone like Dara. That means we have a fifty/fifty chance of getting a good Victor."

"Are you telling me to stop helping my sister?"

"I'm telling you to stop trying to sabotage a kid like Niels. Start sabotaging the Dara's of the arena. That way, if worse comes to worst, you'll get a face-off more like Laciel versus Remi. Remi wouldn't make a bad Victor at all."

"...You're telling me to manipulate my tribute... to make sure that the winner is someone I like?"

"This isn't a normal Game, Luke. The rules are more like suggestions. You've got to do what you've got to do, and no one can blame you for that."

"...Do you and Rafael do this? Is that why all four of you guys' tributes are already dead?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Rafael wanted your tributes dead. You didn't think they'd make good Victors, so you made sure they died early?"

"Luke, calm down-"

"You're cheating! The Games are already unfair enough without you working against your own tributes!"

"Luke!" Weston's sharp voice makes me flinch. I've never heard him raise his voice before.

"Don't yell at me," I murmur. I've always hated being yelled at.

"Listen to me," Weston pleads gently. "I didn't want Osmium to win, and Rafael didn't want Jango to win. And if your Mentor doesn't want you to win, you're going to lose. Everyone knows that. You can call it selfish, Luke, but you don't know the half of it. If Osmium had won, then every year he got picked to be a Mentor, he would've gotten two tributes that should have been mine. And he would've gotten them killed. He was a drug addict, he was selfish, and he was stupid. And every year that he would have lost two tributes, I would have had to live with the fact that if I hadn't let Osmium win, I might've been able to save one of those kids, because I would have mentored them myself. Do you understand?"

"So you'd feel guilty letting two hypothetical kids die, but you're okay letting anyone you happen to dislike get slaughtered?"

"There are things that you can live with, and there are things that you can't. And you can stand there and pretend that you're better than me, Luke, and pretend that you wouldn't do the same thing, but don't forget that Laciel wasn't your only tribute. You were Pawl's mentor, too, and all through training I never heard you so much as say his name. You didn't give him a single piece of advice, you didn't send him a single sponsor gift. And now he's dead, and your sister, conveniently enough, has one less tribute to fight. And if that doesn't bother you, then fine, but when you point your finger at me, just remember that there are three fingers pointing back at you."

I close my eyes against the thought of little Pawl, and what I did to him. Weston may be blind, but he sees more than anyone.

"...How do you know that what you're doing... is right?" I ask quietly, my voice breaking.

Weston doesn't speak for a moment, and when he does, his voice is tired.

"In the end, it all comes down to whether or not you can live with yourself after everything you've done."

"What if you can't?"

"Then you end up like Haymitch, and you spend every day wishing you were dead. Or you end up like Rafael, and you hate yourself even more than you hate living."

"...But if you _can_ live with yourself?"

"Then you end up like me. And you tell yourself that you're doing the best you can, even while you spend every day cursing the damn piece of paper that eternally fucked up your life."

I've never heard Weston use the F word, and it makes me flinch to hear it coming from his mouth. As I wearily rub my eyes, I think about what he's just said.

I don't want to live in a world where a paper no bigger than an inch can destroy an entire family.

**Laciel, 18**

"There's some kind of animal in Sea World," Niels tells me through the walkie-talkie.

"It's a sea animal exhibit," I tell him. "You're gonna find animals in there." I release the talk button and listen to the static.

"No, something big. It growled. Like some kind of jungle cat."

"In Sea World."

"Yes."

"Okay."

"I'm serious! I heard it!"

"It was probably just a recording or something. Maybe your ears are playing tricks on you."

"I know what I heard."

"Fine, Niels. Let's pretend there _is_ a lion in Sea World. Where would they keep it?"

"I don't know."

"In a cage. This is an amusement park, not the jungle. Now stop worrying about imaginary lions and watch out for other tributes."

"Whatever. Where are you?"

I glance around me.

"I'm in the Kiddie Karnival," I tell him, reading the title from a colorful sign. "It's just a bunch of baby rides, like the teacups and the school bus. I don't think there are any tributes in here."

"Okay, I'm - shit!"

"Niels?" I ask immediately, freezing in my tracks.

I'm answered by static.

**Niels, 15**

Shut up, Laciel. Please, for the love of Pete, shut up.

I hide behind a large pillar in front of the pirate ship. On the other side of the pillar, Alise stares at the large, plastic ship. Covering my walkie-talkie with my hands and squeezing my eyes shut, I hope and pray that Laciel doesn't speak.

"Niels? Niels, what's wrong?"

_No_. Shut _up._

Alise's footsteps stop.

"Niels!"

I turn the walkie-talkie off, wincing at the loud _beep_ it makes as it powers down.

"A word to the wise," Alise whispers in my ear. "There's no point in hiding if you're just going to _tell_ me where you are."

My left hand is gripped around the wire clippers Jango gave me. Alise's voice startles me into whacking her in the face with the clippers. She jerks back, and I take the opportunity to jump up and dart away. But Alise is not easy to shake off, and she immediately follows after me. Glancing back for just a moment, I see that I've broken her right cheekbone. Knowing it must hurt like hell, I mentally prepare to strike the broken bone as soon as she catches me.

"Get back here!" she snarls, grabbing the back of my shirt and tripping me in the process.

I feel my face slide against the pavement and grunt in pain. She takes a single step toward me before a blade comes out of nowhere and digs into her hand. Screaming in anger and pain, Alise yanks the blade right out, sending a gush of blood flying into my hair.

"Get away from him," Laciel orders calmly, another blade already in her hand.

She must've come running for me the second I stopped answering my walkie-talkie. I've never been more grateful to anyone in my life.

"Make me," Alise hisses.

**Abe, 16**

_In every heart, there is a room_

_A sanctuary, safe and strong_

_To heal the wounds from lovers past_

_Until a new one comes along_

If I had waited three seconds, I would have seen that Daniel was helping Katerina. I wouldn't have decapitated him. He would be here, right now, holding me. I wouldn't be feeling this listless, hopeless, alone.

And I know that I will be alone for the rest of my life. Always alone. I'd never known it any other way until I met Daniel.

_I spoke to you in cautious tones_

_You answered me with no pretense_

_And still I feel I said too much_

_My silence is my self-defense_

Who could love a girl who doesn't speak?

Daniel's headless body is all the proof you need to know that it's not easy.

And it's a curious thing, because it seems that no matter how little I manage to communicate, it's always far too much.

I walk through the laser tag arena, exploring the depths of the darkness.

"Aibileen," someone says in relief. I turn to find Bidzill. He found us after all.

_Are you going to hurt me?_ I sign. But, of course, he doesn't understand. Go ahead, I want to tell him. I'll let you. Hell, I'll help you. We all know I deserve it.

"Aibileen," he repeats, this time in a tone you might use to say _jackass. _"Tell me. Tell me why you chose him over me."

I stare at him, unblinking. There is nothing in my gaze; it is emptier than my heart.

"Aibileen Jude, you tell me right now. You owe it to me."

I _can't_ tell you.

That's why I didn't choose you.

"Come on, Aibileen. Where's your stupid paper? Where's your goddamn interpreter, huh?"

I drag my finger across my neck. He's dead, Bidzill.

Bidzill takes a step back and leans against one of the fluorescent pillars, as if it almost pains him to hear this.

"Daniel?" he asks in disbelief. "Who killed him?"

I point to myself.

"Oh, God," he breathes, leaning over and placing his hands on his knees. He lowers his head, as if he fears he might faint. Or puke. After several long minutes, he takes a deep breath and lifts his head. "Why did you pick him? I've never hurt you. What's wrong with me?"

I try to explain. I point to myself, then shake my head. Then I point to my ear, then to myself. _You. Don't. Hear. Me._

He simply stares at me, so I turn and begin to walk further into the laser tag arena.

"Don't you _dare_ walk away from me," Bidzill says angrily. "I didn't ruin this. _You_ did, okay? _You_ chose him over me. So all of this? That's on you, Aibileen. That's _your_ fault, not mine."

It is my fault. I know that. But Bidzill was the one who pushed me away. He hated me.

I yank my pad of paper out of my jacket and scribble the words down: _You hate me._

"Abe, come on," he complains, throwing the piece of paper away. "I hated you because you were mean to me. And then when you started being nice to me, I didn't hate you anymore. Are you really gonna blame me for that?"

I shrug, then shake my head.

"Abe, come on," he repeats gently. "Why do I have to be the bad guy?"

I step forward and lean against his chest, and he allows me to. He places his arms around me and rubs my back soothingly. But I will not cry. I will not be weak. I am beyond sadness; I am wallowing in despair.

I am numb, and I will not cry.

_And every time I've held a rose_

_It seems I only felt the thorns_

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And so will you soon, I suppose_

He will leave. Why wouldn't he? He will leave, and I will be left alone again.

_But if my silence made you leave_

_Then that would be my worst mistake_

_So I will share this room with you_

_And you can have this heart to break_

If I could speak, Daniel would never have hit me. Bidzill would never have hated me, would never have thought I was mean. I would have chosen Bidzill.

If I could speak, I wouldn't have to live alone.

But Daniel didn't need me to speak. And so I gave him my heart. And he broke it, and that was too bad.

And now Bidzill doesn't need me to speak. And so now I will give my heart to him. And perhaps he will break it. And if he does, I will be sad for a while. But I will move on.

And maybe, just maybe, he won't break it.

_And this is why my eyes are closed_

_It's just as well for all I've seen_

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And you're the only one who knows_

If I could open my mouth and speak, I would speak of horrible things. I would speak of the darkness that lies in our souls, and I would speak of unbelievable human atrocities. I would speak of what I've seen, and so it is better that I don't speak at all.

Silence is better than heartbreak.

And no one would want to hear my story anyway.

_So I would choose to be with you_

_That's if the choice were mine to make_

_But you can make decisions, too_

_And you can have this heart to break_

I would give anything to be with Daniel. And perhaps, when I die, I will be, if he will forgive me. I know he will, because I know that I will forgive him for what he's done to me.

But I can't be with him now. Not yet. But Bidzill is here now, and I can be with him, if he will forgive me. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

"Abe?" Iskandar calls from somewhere close. "Abe, where are you? Did you get lost?"

"I have to go," Bidzill whispers, his cheek resting against my head. "They're Careers. They'll think I'm after them, and they'll kill me."

I stare up at him, sad to see him go. Alone again.

"I'll be in Sea World. If you need me, come find me. Don't die, Aibileen."

He ducks behind a pillar and disappears through the laser tag arena.

_And so it goes, and so it goes_

_And you're the only one who knows._

**Iskandar, 18**

"Abe, there you are!" Avenaye says excitedly as we find her. "Check out what we found!" He hands her a laser tag vest and gun. Avenaye and I are already wearing our own gear.

Abe looks at us questioningly, and Avenaye shoots her vest with his gun. Sound effects play through our vests, and one of the lights on Abe's vest goes off.

"Once all of your lights go off, you're dead," I explain.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Avenaye asks her.

She shrugs.

"No, come on, you can tell us," I prod.

She writes something down on her pad of paper. _I killed Daniel._

"_Da_-yum, girl!" Avenaye shouts.

"Why'd you kill him?" I ask in astonishment.

Taking up four and a half pieces of paper, Abe tells us everything that's happened between her, Daniel, Bidzill, Osmium, and Katerina since she entered the arena. She finishes by telling us that Bidzill just left the laser tag arena, after they shared an intimate hug.

"Omg," I breathe. At this point, Avenaye and I are both sitting across from each other, each of us on a different railing of the same ramp. Abe is leaning against my railing and watching us. "That was such a sad story."

"So you blame yourself for Daniel's death?" Avenaye asks her. She nods. "But it's _Daniel's_ fault! He took you for granted, girlfriend. If he liked it, then he should've put a ring on it, am I right, Izzy?"

"Totally. But that doesn't solve this Bidzill problem, Avenaye."

"Why is it a problem?"

_Bidzill left. He wouldn't have left if he liked me._

"Oh, no, girl, don't be insecure!" Avenaye says. "Do you have a b-friend?"

She stares at him in confusion.

"A b-friend? You know, a boyfriend, a b-friend? Do you have one?"

She shakes her head.

"No way. I don't believe that. A pretty-ass girl like you not having a boyfriend? You believe that, Izzy?"

"Hells to the no, Avenaye, I don't believe that. Check out her skin. You use Neutrogena on that skin, girl? 'Cause it shows. You take real good care of your skin. You _work_ that Neutrogena."

"And she color coordinates. Check out that fly jacket she's wearing, see how green that is? And then the black pants? She's totally a Spring, and it definitely shows when she wears an ensemble as cute as this one."

"You've got that right. I'm more of an Autumn, myself, and I could never pull off something like that."

"Oh, don't you be insecure, too, Izzy. You wear that red jacket like it was made for you."

"It _was_ made for me."

"Well, it shows." Avenaye turns back to Abe. "If Bidzill doesn't come back for you, it's, like, totally his loss, Abe."

"You know, I wish we had some nail polish here. That would really make her hands pop, you know? They really are her best feature."

"That would look _fabulous_."

"This sounds like true love to me, though, Avenaye. And you have to do everything you can for true love."

"So you're saying we need to get them together?"

"They were totally made for each other."

"Okay, Abe," Avenaye says, taking Abe by the shoulders. "Here's what's gonna happen. You have to walk up to Bidzill. You have to grab him by the shoulders. And then you have to say, _listen to me, boy, and listen to me good. This girl is HOT. And she is NOT gonna sit around and wait for you to make up your mind. So you take it, or you leave it, baby!"_

"But, Avenaye, she can't talk."

"Oh, shit, you're right."

"That was beautiful, though. Maybe _you_ should say it to him, Avenaye. 'Cause that was too good not to use."

"Maybe I will."

"You're hot, too, you know."

"I know. I mean, sometimes I forget, but then I see myself in the mirror and it's like, of course. That's super sweet of you to say, though, Izzy."

"Well, you _are_ hot, Avenaye, and I don't think you hear it enough."

"I don't."

"Hey, can we talk about Dolly for a second?"

"_How _have we not talked about her before? I mean, first of all, have you _seen_ her hair?"

"You talking about the dead ends? That was the first thing I noticed about her."

"Right? Not like you, Abe, your follicles are just lovely."

"You guys, this _conversation_ is lovely. We need to do this way more often."

"Abso-_fruitly_, Izzy."

**Bidzill, 17**

"Did you find Dolly?" Remi asks as soon as I return.

"No," I tell him, breathing heavily from my long run. "Arcade was empty, no one's there, but that's not important right now."

"Bidzill, you were supposed to find Dolly!"

"Okay, but the kid said Dolly was with Dara, right? Because I saw Dara on that ski lift ride thing, and he was with Alise. So either Dolly is dead, or she broke off the alliance with Dara. But Remi, that doesn't matter! There's something much more important now!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I ran into Abe."

"What do you mean, you ran into her? We're in an arena, fighting to our death, Bidzill, you can't just go out and have tea parties with the other tributes!"

"Oh, but it's okay for you to play nice with Desdemona?"

"Fair enough. So, tell me what's got you so excited."

"Okay, so I saw Abe. She was with Iskandar and Avenaye. She looked good, too, Remi. She looked good. I think she's better off without Daniel."

"What do you mean? What happened to Daniel?"

"Oh, she killed him," I say offhandedly.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, but that's not important, either. Remi, the thing is... I _hugged_ her."

"...And?"

"...And I hugged her."

"First of all, never do that again. That's the exact position she wants you in so she can snap your neck. And second, you don't want to go down this road, buddy."

"I'm not going down a road, Remi, you're so dramatic! Come on, she _hugged_ me, man! Do you know what this means?"

"I don't know, Bidzill, does she like-_like_ you?" he says sarcastically.

"Well, yeah!" I tell him seriously. "What else would it mean?"

"For crying out loud, Bidzill, you're acting like a little girl. I'm surprised you haven't asked me for a cootie shot."

"Oh, come on, Remi! She's really nice, and she's tough, and I think I like her, and it looks like she likes me back. Can't you be happy for me?"

"Do you want me to jump around and squeal? Would that make you feel better? Or should I totally text all of my BFF's and tell them the super fabulous news?"

I groan. "You're such a grouch."

"And you're an idiot. You _just_ told me that she killed her last boyfriend, and now you're already lining up to be the next one."

"Okay, Daniel wasn't her boyfriend. And you saw what he did to her. He had it coming, Remi."

"Did he really, though? Was it really her call to make, whether he deserved to live or not?"

"Oh, don't climb back up on that high horse, man. You think you're better than her, don't you? You think you're better than all of us."

"Bid, I'm just trying to tell you that whatever happiness you think you'll get out of this is _not_ worth the pain."

"...You're right. This can only end in tears."

"Exactly."

"Hey, do you happen to have a litter box?"

"What are you talking about, Bid? Of course I don't have a litter box."

"Then we might have a bit of a problem."

Remi turns around and follows my gaze to the lion standing before us.

"Holy shit," Remi murmurs.

"Holy shit is right, dude," I tell him. "You've got a weapon, right?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Always. Hey, wait a minute... where's Desdemona?"

I'm answered by a scream.

**Dara, 12**

As I dart between the rides, I make up a song to the tune of _Row, Row, Row Your Boat._

"Run, run, run away, faster than Alise. Find a knife to slit her throat, so I can make her scream."

A scream echoes from Sea World, followed by a deadly roar. A lion.

Wicked!

I'm about to search for the lion when I see my next victim. She's sitting by the petting zoo, and it looks like she's trying to open their cages. I'm not an idiot, and it doesn't take long to put two and two together.

Katerina let the lions out.

It takes all of two seconds to come up behind her and wrap my belt around her neck. She chokes out words that I can't possibly understand as I drag her backwards and throw her to the floor.

"You really shouldn't be outside," I tell her in a friendly voice as I place my foot firmly on her stomach. "There's a kitty cat on the loose. A _big_ kitty."

"Get your foot off of me, you little shit!" Katerina demands, throwing my tiny foot to her right. It throws me off balance, and I tip to the floor. Luckily for me, it isn't a short fall.

Katerina yanks a knife from her boot and lunges for me, but I roll out of the way. Her knife digs into the dirt. She angrily tries to pull it out, but it's like the sword in the stone. That knife is staying right where it is.

I want to play with her, but I don't have a weapon. I'll have to come back for her later.

"Let's make a play date," I say, backing away. "I'll bring my own toys."

She snarls at me and reaches her right hand out to snatch me. I jump to the left.

"Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me!" I taunt as I run away.

"I'll get you!" she screeches to my back.

No, she won't.

**Remi, 17**

My only thought is of Desdemona.

Where is she; is she safe? That's all that matters.

"Don't move," I say to Bidzill out of the corner of my mouth.

"What do we do?"

"Wait for him to make the first move."

"Help!" Desdemona screams as she tears across the polished floors of Sea World, scrambling to reach us.

"Desdemona, no!" I shout, but it's too late. The lion in front of us sees her running and immediately switches to hunting mode.

In one single bound, he's on top of her, ripping at her arm with his giant teeth. This is the best chance I'll ever get to run away. I could save myself with ease. But it's not so much a question of why I don't run away, it's why I would even think to run away in the first place.

No little girls are going to die on my watch.

"Bidzill, help!" I demand. I reach for my weapon, a rope with a sizable stone tied to the end of it, and immediately begin to clobber the giant beast before us. Bidzill, always the stoic warrior, doesn't even glance toward the exit. He simply jumps into battle, never once looking back.

After suffering several large axe wounds, the lion falls to the ground and releases Desdemona. The beast heaves a large breath, and struggles with another one.

"Desdemona!" I exclaim, gathering the girl up in my arms. Any other tribute would have given up on her by now. But I'm not going to let her die.

"My-my arm!" she sobs. "Where's my arm?"

Her elbow ends in a blood stump; her entire forearm lies on the ground. The two pieces of her arm are connected only by a few strands of muscle. As grotesque as it is, I barely blink; there's no time for squeamishness when you're facing death.

"Bidzill," I say softly. "Use your axe."

"What?" he asks in alarm.

"You've got to severe it. We can't just leave it hanging there."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Bid, please."

"No!" Desdemona cries. "No, my arm!"

"Desdemona," I soothe. "It's okay. I know it seems bad, but it's not really. The Capitol can fix it as soon as the Games end, okay? You'll never even remember this happened."

"Don't touch it!" she screeches as Bidzill nears her arm with his axe.

"It's okay, it's okay! Look at me, Mona! Look at me! Don't look at Bid. He'll make your arm feel better, I promise. You won't even feel it, okay?"

Actually, I'm pretty sure she'll feel this. I brace myself, cradling her tiny head to my chest so that she won't see as Bidzill lowers his axe on the strands of muscle. There's a soul-shattering scream the moment his axe makes contact. In an instant, the two pieces of her arm are separated. Desdemona is reduced to a sobbing mess, her words completely incomprehensible.

"We need a tourniquet," I tell Bidzill quietly.

"We don't have any supplies," he argues.

"We need a tourniquet," I repeat, more sternly this time.

He stares at me for a moment before acknowledging that he isn't going to win this one. He stands up and looks for the door.

"And hurry!" I tell him.

Like a shot, he's off, never glancing back.

"It's gonna be okay," I murmur to Desdemona. It's the worst lie I've ever told. "Everything's gonna be okay."

**Dolly, 16**

Dara is a monster. And if he's not who he's been pretending to be, then chances are he lied about Desdemona being taken.

So where is she?

In the last hour, I've scoured every inch of the sky ride in the hopes that Dara led me here for a reason. I searched high and low for any hint of Desdemona. No such luck.

I'm starting to think he killed her.

It all fits, really. He killed Desdemona and then led me on a wild goose hunt, just for fun. To play with my mind. To be utterly and unbelievably cruel.

I suppose I'll find out tonight.

An axe swings out of nowhere, narrowly missing my left arm. Immediately, I snatch the weapon and rip it out of Bidzill's hands. But Bidzill lets go too slowly, and ends up flying several feet away and skidding painfully across the ground. I raise my hammer, which is almost as large as my head, and stand menacingly over him.

"No, please!" he begs. "I need your help! There was a lion... Remi and me... it was Sea World... and Desdemona's arm..."

"What did you do to her?" I roar.

"No! No, I'm trying to help her! The lion got her, Dolly! We fought it off, but it got her arm, and now we need a tourniquet, and I can't find anything, and I don't know what to do, and I need your help, and I don't want to die, and-"

"Where is she?"

"Sea World!"

"Take me to her."

**Avenaye, 18**

I'll do almost anything for a laugh. And my give-and-take with Iskandar had Abe in stitches. But when Dara comes running into the laser tag arena, I'm done playing games.

I duck behind a neon pink rock as the boy skips past us. But Iskandar, lazy as ever, refuses to run into hiding. He walks. And even his walk is slow. It's like the shuffle of a nursing home patient.

Dara passes by, evidently not seeing us through the darkness. I slowly let out the breath I've been holding as Iskandar ducks down next to me.

Suddenly, there's a thumping sound. I squint to see through the darkness and find Dara hovering over Abe's body, a laser tag gun in his hand. He must've found it on his way in. I feel the weight of my own laser tag gun.

Yeah, that would probably hurt.

"Trick or treat, smell my feet," he tells Abe as she rolls over and stares up at him.

This strikes me as a very weird thing to say.

"Avenaye, we have to help her," Iskandar whispers to me.

I grab his arm and hold him back.

"No!" I hiss. "Stay down. You'll give us away. Do you want to die?"

She's our ally, kind of. I guess we should help her. Probably.

But the more I tell myself that it's cowardly to sit here and do nothing, the more afraid I am to jump out from behind this rock. I'm not a hero - I've never pretended to be. I just want to go home. The Games aren't nearly as much fun as they're made out to be.

"Abey, Abey, Aibileen," he chants, sitting on her stomach and pulling her knife out of her belt. She squints up at him, evidently a little groggy after being hit in the head with a heavy object. "You've been a naughty girl, haven't you?" He takes her right hand in his left, lifting his own right hand as he does so. With his left hand, he lays her right hand flat on the ground.

"You like to give people the finger, don't you?" he asks gently. "But Abey, that's a no-no. That means a bad word."

Abe's face is utterly confused, but as I watch, she slowly takes in her surroundings.

"You're not going to use that finger anymore."

And as I watch from my safe position behind a pink cardboard rock, Dara lifts his right hand and, bringing it down with a force no twelve-year-old should be capable of, slices right through Abe's finger.

I flinch. Dara giggles. Abe's mouth opens in a silent scream.

"What next, baby Abey?" Dara laughs. "How about nine toes to match your nine fingers?"

He picks up the finger he just chopped off of Abe and stares at it with pure glee. The blood pours out of the severed lower half, leaving the rest of the finger a ghostly white. All I can think of is the word _dead_.

"Okay, that's enough!" I declare, poking my head out from behind the pink rock. It's one thing to chop off someone's finger. It's another thing entirely to play with it. "Come on, give her finger back."

Dara's eyes widen in momentary alarm, but quickly regain their regular size as a sadistic smile plays across his face.

"It's mine now," he says in delight.

"It's not yours, Dara." I crinkle my nose in disgust. "Just put it down."

"Finders keepers." With a shrug, he uses his pointer finger to poke the bloody stump at the bottom of the severed finger.

"That's a disgusting habit," I murmur, feeling my face pale. For the love of peace, Avenaye, don't faint. Keep it together, old boy.

With one swift kick, Iskandar sends Dara flying off of Abe.

"Holy shit!" I exclaim.

"Now, there was some mention of trick-or-treating?" Iskandar asks hopefully.

Ignoring him, I push him aside and watch Dara scramble off into the darkness.

"Izzy, where'd you learn to kick like that?" I ask in awe.

"I've been training for the Games my whole life, Avenaye. What idiot doesn't learn martial arts if they know they're going into the Games?"

_This_ idiot.

I mentally smack myself for not learning awesome karate moves like that. I mean, if Iskandar can do it, anyone can, right?

Well, maybe not. He just kicked some serious butt, not to mention the fact that he sounded incredibly lucid after he did it. Maybe he's not stupid. Maybe it's just an act.

"Seriously, guys, are we going trick-or-treating or not?"

Or maybe he is stupid.

"Do you have Abe's finger?" I ask him.

He stares down at his own fingers and begins to count them, as if he expects to find an extra one that belongs to Abe. I glance at the ground, but find nothing.

"Dara took your finger," I say.

That's when I finally look back at Abe. She's on the floor, her mouth still open in a silent scream. Because to her, this is so much more than pain, or losing the ability to give someone the finger. She talks with her hands. And so many words in sign language must require the middle finger.

Dara didn't just take her finger. He took her words.

Abe writhes on the ground, her bloody hand cradled in its twin, her silent mouth desperately trying to express her pain. It's like watching a horror movie with the sound muted. I can just tell by the look on her face that if she could scream, it would be the saddest sound in the world.

Like a dying wolf howling at the moon, giving one final goodbye to the beautiful glow that tucked him in each night.

**Alliance One: (Location - Laser Tag)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Abe, 16, District 7

**Alliance Two: (Location - Pirate Ship)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Sea World)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

Desdemona, 13, District 8

Dolly, 16, District 10

**Loner: (Location - Pirate Ship)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Petting Zoo)**

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Loner: (Location - Somewhere in the Laser Tag Arena)**

Dara, 12, District 10


	16. Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

**Kallie Shepp, District 6, Weston's Wife**

_You are my sunshine_

_My only sunshine_

_You make me happy_

_When skies are gray_

The Victors take the Games home with them. Everyone knows that. What they don't understand is that the loved ones of a Victor, we have our own game to play.

How bad were his nightmares last night? Did they put him in a wretched mood; did they elevate his paranoia and make him unbearable? Do I gamble our chances and take him outside, make him interact with others? Will today be a good day? Or is today one of the days where he places a knife to the mailman's throat for knocking on our door?

Do I pull another bluff, or is today the day I really leave him?

It doesn't get any better, no matter how long you wait. You just get better at handling it.

Weston's at the point where he can seem completely fine six out of seven days of the week. And then there's always that one day, every week, without fail, that he throws the toaster oven threw the window, or he screams at me for washing the laundry on the 'gentle' wash cycle instead of 'casual.'

But even on those six good days, I always have to watch his every move like a hawk. Because even the most inaudible noise, even the simplest gesture, could send him back into that arena. And the only warning I get is an almost imperceptible twitch of his head, followed by a single, rapid blink of his eyes. Then he reacts to whatever imaginary danger is around him, and I have to bring him back to our world. And together, we clean up whatever mess he's made.

With a clash, I drop the plate I've been scrubbing into the dishwasher and sink to the floor, dropping my head in my hands. It's so utterly lonely in this giant house. Sometimes it feels as though he's never coming home.

It's never Weston that I'm angry at; it's never Weston that I hate. It's the Capitol. It's the Games. It's Monk.

She messed him up more than anything. It took a long time for him to get over the way she died - by backing herself into a corner and threatening to blow everyone up. He blamed himself, but I can't help but see it as entirely her fault.

But no matter how many bad days we have, no matter how many bittersweet _I love you_'s we say, the good days always outnumber the bad. And that's all that really matters, in the end. I wouldn't trade this life for any other.

No matter how awful the mess he creates, no matter how much it hurts when he screams at me, I've never stopped thanking the universe for bringing him back to me.

_You'll never know, dear_

_How much I love you_

_Please don't take_

_My sunshine away_

And every year that they take him away from me again, every year that they make him be a Mentor, I remember how lonely this life is without him. He's my best friend; he always has been. So I'll set the table for one every night until he comes home. I'll buy frozen dinners that taste like cardboard and freezer burn. I'll wait until the day that he comes home again; when we'll have homemade dinners every night; when I'll wake up to him screaming every night; when I'll find him in the kitchen, running his finger along the knife in his hands, tears in his eyes; when I'll have someone to make me smile again.

**Arthur, District 12, Laciel's Fiance**

_The other night, dear_

_As I lay sleeping_

_I dreamed I held you_

_In my arms_

The cameras zoom in on Laciel and Alise's faces as they stare each other down.

What they don't tell you about your loved one being a tribute is that as long as they're in that arena, you'll never get a wink of sleep. Every second is spent staring at their televised image, trying to soak it in as much as you can, because they may only have a few more pixels left before they're gone from that screen forever. You can't sleep at night, because what if she dies at night, and you're not there to watch? What if you wake up in the morning and she's dead? You can't take your eyes off the screen, not even for a minute, because somehow you know that if you stop watching over her, even for a second, she's going to die.

_When I awoke, dear_

_I was mistaken_

_And I held my head_

_And cried_

Sometimes the door will open and I'll spin around in pure joy, only to remember that it isn't her, can't be her. I often find myself glancing over my shoulder, just to make sure she isn't there. I've made a game out of sitting at my kitchen table and staring at the door, pretending that she'll be walking in at any moment, pretending that my life hasn't actually changed at all.

But the thing about games is this: it can be fun for a while, but in the end someone has to win.

And someone has to lose.

**Missy Rivers, District 12, Daryl Rivers' Younger Sister**

Daryl went on the TV. He didn't come back.

Luke went on the TV. He came back, but I think he forgot to bring his heart back with him, because he always acts like there's something missing inside of him.

Now Laciel is on the TV. There's no one in our big Victor's house except for me and Laciel's mommy. Arthur walks me to school every morning, and he walks me home every afternoon. He's really funny, and he makes me laugh, but every time he looks away from me he stops smiling. He looks like he wants to cry.

Sometimes, when I'm watching the TV, I put my hands on the screen so I can touch Laciel's face. Sometimes I pretend that if I believe hard enough, I can call her back home to me.

_You are my sunshine_

_My only sunshine_

_You make me happy_

_When skies are gray_

**Bartholomew Valence, District 8, Niels' Grandfather**

"Would you like your pills now, sweetie?" Veronica asks me stupidly.

"No," I snap.

Ever since Niels left, I've had to have this stupid nurse at my side every minute, badgering the hell out of me.

"You really need to take your pills, honey."

"Nag, nag, _nag_! Is that all you ever do?"

"Now, Mr. Valence, you know better than that. Remember what we talked about? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

This is what you're reduced to. It doesn't matter how brilliant you were in your prime, how courageous or valiant your soul is, all that matters is that you need someone to change your diaper every two hours and force-feed you your pills in order to survive. You're treated like a toddler, and there's nothing you can do about it.

"Nelly didn't have stupid rules like you do," I grumble, crossing my arms petulantly.

"Who's Nelly?"

"My grandson! Don't you know anything? He's only the best damn tribute Panem has ever seen!"

"Your grandson is Niels, Mr. Valence. Remember?"

"I remember my grandson's name! I just misspoke, that's all." I turn my head sheepishly, unwilling to admit that I forgot the name of my beloved grandson.

Losing your memory isn't fair. Losing your loved one is worse.

"He's gonna win, you know," I tell Veronica as she pours me a glass of water.

"I'm sure, Mr. Valence," she says without really listening. She doesn't care. She just wants her damn paycheck.

Of all the things I've been thinking about while watching Niels on my TV, which I leave on every minute of every day, directly across from my armchair so I never have to take my eyes off of it, what I've been thinking about most is the way I never told him quite how much I appreciated him. I don't like to talk about my feelings. That's a woman's job, not a man's. But that kid was so gentle with me. So patient and sweet. No matter how many times I shouted at him, or dumped my oatmeal on his head, he never raised his voice, never so much as frowned at me. I wish he knew I loved him.

I wish he knew how proud I am of him.

"I always knew he was a winner," I tell Veronica. "I can't wait to shake his hand after he wins."

"Okay, Mr. Valence."

Veronica hands me my water to shut me up. Nobody wants to listen to what an old man has to say.

Nelly did.

_You'll never know, dear_

_How much I love you_

**Alice Adlanji, District 3, Remi's Younger Sister**

I spend every day lying on the hospital bed.

The District has nowhere else to put me. Someone has to watch after me, and now that Remi is gone, it falls to the hospital workers. All I have left is my teddy bear, who watches over me all day, no matter who else is around. I love him, and he would never leave me. We need each other.

My bed is directly across from the TV, and I watch it all day. Sometimes I have to close my eyes, but Remi's been okay so far. With a painful cough, I press the nurse button on my bed. I need more painkillers. My chest feels like it's on fire. As a busy nurse rushes into the room, I close my eyes so she thinks I'm asleep.

I don't like to talk to these people. They ask me how I'm feeling every time they come in, as if they expect me to get better. I miss my big brother.

I need Remi to come bring me home.

_Please don't take_

_My sunshine away_

**Deaths this chapter:**

_None_

**Alliance One: (Location - Laser Tag)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Abe, 16, District 7

**Alliance Two: (Location - Pirate Ship)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

Niels, 15, District 8

**Alliance Three: (Location - Sea World)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11

Remi, 17, District 3

Desdemona, 13, District 8

Dolly, 16, District 10

**Loner: (Location - Pirate Ship)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Petting Zoo)**

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Loner: (Location - Somewhere in the Laser Tag Arena)**

Dara, 12, District 10


	17. Lie Here

**Dolly, 16**

Nothing about the Games has scared me.

There's never been a need for me to be afraid. I'm bigger and stronger than every other tribute in this arena. I fear no one. But now I'm terrified.

Terrified of losing Desdemona.

"She's right in there," Bidzill tells me, pointing to the penguin exhibit. Remi sits in front of the glass, Desdemona bleeding in his arms.

"Dolly!" Desdemona cries upon seeing me.

Relief floods through my body and I step toward her. But Remi immediately tenses in alarm, cradling Desdemona closer to him.

"What's she doing here?" he snaps. I don't remember him being rude or impatient, but stress makes everyone cranky.

"She can help," Bidzill tells him, leaning over on his knees and breathing heavily from the long run.

"You were supposed to get a tourniquet!"

"Give Desdemona to me," I demand.

"What? No! She needs me."

"She needs _me_."

"I'm taking care of her, we don't need your help!"

I lift my hammer and step dangerously close to Remi.

"Give her to me," I repeat.

Remi stares up at me, assessing the situation. He knows I could kill him in an instant, yet he refuses to let Desdemona go.

"Remi!" Bidzill says in alarm. "Let Dolly take her! It's not worth dying over."

Remi reaches his arm toward a rope with a stone tied to the end, and I pull my arm back to create a larger and more powerful swing when I hurl my hammer at Remi's head. His arm freezes as he sees me make my move.

"Fine," he hisses. He stands, Desdemona in his arms, and gently passes her bleeding body to me. "But if I see her face in the sky tonight, I'm coming for you."

"Don't you dare threaten me," I growl at him.

He raises his arm in anger, as though he's about to punch me, but Bidzill grabs him and yanks him back.

"It's not worth it!" Bidzill exclaims.

Remi spits at my feet and moves to follow Bidzill out the door. But at the last moment, he spins around and swings his rope so that the rock flies into my head. It slams into my skull, and I fall to my knees, dropping Desdemona to the ground. I'm back on my feet in an instant, but Remi had enough time to find the perfect position behind me. With a sharp pain, I feel the rock make contact with my skull once more.

It hits my head in the perfect spot, and the world before snaps off like a television screen.

**Remi, 17**

Dolly's cannon sounds moments before she topples to the left. The weight of her body slams into Bidzill, who does all he can to maintain his balance and still fails.

I understand what's going to happen a split-second before it does. I do my best to reach for Bidzill's axe, but it falls past my hand and lands in Desdemona's shoulder. Bidzill falls beside Desdemona's body as she screams bloody-murder.

"Bidzill!" I shout, dropping to Desdemona's side and yanking the axe out of her shoulder. Her screaming intensifies, and I stare at a jumble of blood, muscle, and bone. This can't be happening. She was going to be okay.

She's too busy screaming to even think of crying; I can't even begin to imagine the pain she's in. If Bidzill hadn't been so clumsy, if he had simply held onto the axe like he was supposed to…

Alise's words come back to me, the words she told me in a hoarse voice on the day of the reaping.

_I don't want to lie here anymore._

"What are you doing?" Bidzill asks in alarm as he watches me raise his axe above Desdemona.

"She's suffering," I hiss. "I'm not gonna make her lie here."

I bring the axe down on her neck three times, just to be sure. I don't want her to be in any more pain than she needs to be. The cannon that sounds rings through my body, and I suddenly understand what woe sounds like.

"You didn't even try to help her," Bidzill whispers in horror.

"There was nothing we could do!" I snap. "She would've suffered until she bled to death, don't you see that?"

"I didn't mean to… Dolly knocked me over… I couldn't-"

"Get out of here," I whisper. Bidzill stares at me in alarm. "Get out of here!" I roar, my voice echoing against the glass exhibits.

Bidzill scrambles off the floor and sprints out the door, staring back at me in disbelief and horror all the while.

**Abe, 16**

Avenaye nearly fainted while Iskandar helped me tie my boxing tape around the bloody mess where my middle finger used to be. I'm not surprised Dara chopped it off.

I'm surprised he kept it.

I'm going to get it back if it's the last thing I do. My hands were _me_. I don't know what I am without my hands. It's like cutting off Beethoven's finger. You can say it's not a big deal, but how's he ever going to play that piano again? It would've killed him.

Dara's got no idea what's coming for him.

**Iskandar, 18**

A cannon sounds.

"That's the thirteenth cannon," Avenaye sighs.

"Bad luck," I chime in.

"Right, because we've been having _good_ luck so far," Avenaye says sarcastically.

"We're still alive, aren't we?"

"For now."

Avenaye jumps as another cannon goes off.

"That was fast," I observe.

"Number fourteen. Only ten of us left."

"Coolio."

"No, not coolio, Izzy. Very _un_coolio."

"Party pooper."

I feel a tapping on my shoulder and turn to see Abe. She points to a tall fence, behind which are scary-looking woods.

"The woods might actually be a good idea," Avenaye points out.

"Maybe we'll find an elf."

"Well... Ah, forget it."

We approach the fence and stare it down.

"Kinda big," I observe.

"Let's just hop it," Avenaye says with a shrug.

I go first, climbing up the metal and swinging my legs over the top before dropping down on the other side. Abe follows easily, and then it's Avenaye's turn. He approaches the fence and lifts one arm and one leg. Then he rethinks this, and backs up a few feet. He gets a running start and jumps onto the fence, clinging with his fingers and shoes. He remains frozen like this, halfway up the fence.

"Climb," I suggest.

"I can't!" he squeaks, clinging for dear life even though he's only a few feet off the ground. He gingerly drops back to the ground and stares at the fence again. "Okay, I'm gonna try this again. Maybe I could just vault over the top. Do a backflip on the way down, and stick the landing with a pirouette."

"Maybe."

"Or maybe you guys could dig a hole or something, and I could just crawl through that."

"Well..."

"For the love of Pete, you've got to do something, man. I don't want to be stuck alone on this side!"

He puts his hand against the fence forlornly and I place my hand on my own side of the fence.

"Don't leave me here!" he cries.

"We'll come back for you, Avenaye! No man left behind!" I cry back.

We're interrupted by an obnoxious squeaking sound. Abe stands several feet to my right, her hand on the fence gate, which she's just opened.

"Oh," Avenaye says, clearing his throat and composing himself before walking briskly through the gate. "Good job, everyone."

"Yeah, good teamwork," I add.

Abe smiles and gives us a thumbs-up before taking off through the woods. Avenaye and I follow directly behind her.

**Alise, 14**

"Get away from him," Laciel orders.

"Make me," I hiss.

A single blade comes slicing through the air toward my head. I jerk my head to the left to avoid it, but Laciel is tricky. She sends another blade to the left side of my head just as I jerk my head in that direction, and I feel a burning sensation as the blade catches my ear.

"Bitch!" I grunt, feeling the blood leak into my ear canal.

I grab my whip and snap it in the air toward her; there's a lovely scream as I catch her directly across her right cheek. The scar will be permanent, and I can't keep the smile off my face as I realize this. But before I even remember he's on the ground, Niels is suddenly in my face, slamming his wire clippers into my cheek again. The broken bone screams in pain and I cover my face protectively. When I look up once more, Laciel and Niels are gone.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" I sing menacingly.

I'll get them sooner or later. They can't hide forever.

**Laciel, 18**

"Let me see your face," Niels demands once we're safely inside the gift shop.

Funny how we ended up exactly where we started. Who would've thought?

"No, I'm fine," I insist, wincing from my stinging face.

"Laciel!" he snaps. His tone makes me turn around. He takes my face gently in his hands and stares at the wound. In a second, he's gone, scouring the gift shop for a first aid kit. He returns quickly, popping open the case and pulling out some ointment. I wince as he applies the cold substance to my face, but after a moment the stinging goes down. He tapes a bandage to my face, and is finished in minutes.

"You're good at this," I tell him.

"I used to take care of my grandpa all the time," he shrugs. "He liked to cut himself up and call the Peacekeepers, tell them I had done it and demand to be taken away."

"That's horrible!"

"Nah. He was just bored. He didn't mean anything by it. Just wanted some attention."

"Still."

"That scar's gonna be permanent, though. Sorry about that."

"Thanks for patching me up," I say, touching the bandage tenderly.

What will Arthur think? An ugly scar on my face to match the emotional ones inside of me. He won't care. He loves me for me.

This thought brings tears to my eyes, and I turn away to hide it. I was so lucky to find Arthur. I was about to start a whole new life with him. But now? Now I'll probably never see him again. Not Arthur, not Luke, not little Missy.

"Laciel?" Niels asks. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just tired."

He puts his arm on my shoulder, and I feel myself calming down. At least I got the best ally in the arena. Niels is great - I couldn't have asked for a better friend. I turn to face him.

"Thanks, Niels. I'm so glad you're my ally."

"Me, too," he says quietly.

And then he leans forward. I pull my head away in alarm and watch him in confusion.

"Um..." I say. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing! I just - I mean - I was-"

"Did you just try to kiss me?"

"No! Of course not!" His face burns a bright red and he angrily turns away.

"How old are you?" I ask, trying not to laugh. "Like, thirteen?"

"_Fifteen_."

"You're barely out of diapers, Niels! I'm _eighteen_. I don't even think that's legal..."

"I'm not barely out of diapers, I'm almost sixteen. And it doesn't matter if it's legal or not, because I'm not interested!"

"But you-"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"You tried to kiss me, Niels!"

"You're so conceited."

"You _little... _fine. You didn't try to kiss me. Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever."

"What now? We can't hide here. Alise will find us."

"I don't know. You seem to think you're better than me, why don't you come up with the plan?"

"Gladly. Let's leave."

"Why don't we leave separately?"

"...Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious. I don't need to take shit from you just because I'm three years younger than you are."

"Niels, I wasn't giving you shit about being younger than me, I was-"

"I know what you were doing. Just because I'm not eighteen doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

"No, I _don't_ know what you meant. I never know what you mean, because you change your mind every five seconds! Just a minute ago you were crying, then you were all over me, now you're screaming at me - well, guess what? I'm done being your little puppy, okay? You're always pushing me around, or pushing me away. I don't need you!"

"Fine! Then why don't you leave?"

"I will!"

"Then go!"

"I'm _going_!"

He shoves his way past me and disappears through the door. Unable to contain my frustration, I scream at the t-shirt display. Then I kick over the snow globe display and listen to the glass shatter. Finally, I cross the gift shop, glass crunching under my shoes, and storm through the door and out into the night.

**Avenaye, 17**

The three of us found a gypsy tent in the woods. It's perfect - big enough for all of us, yet hidden far away from the rest of the arena. The owner must have been a fortune teller, because the tent is filled with mystical globes and tarot cards and crap like that.

Iskandar finds a microwave buried under a pile of blankets, and Abe finds some frozen burritos in a mini-fridge behind a flimsy bookcase. We munch on the snacks as the sun goes down, and I find several lanterns that we hang around the tent. Eventually, the three of us simply lay on the blanketed floor of the tent and stare up at the bugs swarming the lanterns.

"I like it here," Iskandar says quietly. Abe nods.

"It's a good hiding place," I agree. "But we probably shouldn't stay here too long."

"Why not?"

"We have to keep moving."

"But I like it here."

"I know. Me, too."

Abe signals something with her hands that I don't understand. I glance at Avenaye.

"Sanctuary," he says quietly.

"That's what she said?" I ask. Abe nods. I turn to Iskandar. "How did you know?"

"Because I was thinking the same thing."

**Deaths this chapter:**

_Dolly Domaine, District 10_

_Desdemona Moor, District 8_

**Alliance One: (Location - Fortune Teller's Tent)**

Avenaye, 17, District 4

Iskandar, 18, District 1

Abe, 16, District 7

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Laciel, 18, District 12

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Niels, 15, District 8

**Loner: (Location - Sea World)**

Remi, 17, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Pirate Ship)**

Alise, 14, District 3

**Loner: (Location - Petting Zoo)**

Katerina, 17, District 2

**Loner: (Location - Laser Tag)**

Dara, 12, District 10

**Loner: (Location - Unknown)**

Bidzill, 17, District 11


End file.
